The following post was originally published March 21, 2017 on my Instagram and Facebook pages as part of a series of 40 daily Lenten reflections on gratitude:

Day 23 of Lenten Gratitude: I think I might have hopped on to this spoken word train a bit late. I mean, it seems that it's always been there. When I was in high school, I wrote poetry... lots of it. Most of it was bad, raw, and angsty. Some of it was published in my high school newspaper but most of it fills a binder in my parents' house rarely to the see the light of day, never to be read aloud. Then in 1997, a movie called "Love Jones" came out. It was a romance between Darius the poet and Nina the marketing professional set in Chicago. I felt like I was one of the people in the movie-- artsy Black folk with day jobs who loved jazz and creativity and romance. Granted, I was born-again and just about to start my first year of university but they felt like me all the same. In 2003, I was asked to submit a poem for T-DOT GRIOTS: A TRIBUTE TO TORONTO'S BLACK STORYTELLERS, an anthology by Karen Richardson and Steven Green, and I did. It was the first time I saw my work in a book. Fast-forward to 2015 and 2016 when my first 3 self-authored books were published and then I moved to Abu Dhabi where a writing prompt from my circle leader inspired me to pen my first spoken word piece. Before that I didn't like spoken word very much, I must admit. I had gone to some spoken word shows in Toronto and thought a lot of it sounded the same or I left feeling like I don't really understand it (but I liked the vibe and the people). But then I wrote more poems that seemed to aptly convey my deepest thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Perhaps it's the performative aspect that struck a chord with me (that my journals and posts don't share) that only belongs to storytelling, rap, emceeing, toasting, and of course spoken word. Part of me is afraid of what spoken word may unlock-- spilling emotions all over the place, angst, revisiting and exposing all of my deepest fears-- but part of me knows that something quite beautiful will emerge, something I've always known since penning stories and songs since a young age, something that some of my favourite poets like Miss Lou and Maya Angelou knew all along-- poetry is meant to be shared, words are meant to be read and spoken.

And one day, I will share my spoken word readings on video and on a stage.  Baby steps...

A week full of Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature (EAFOL), otherwise known as Dubai Literature Festival, events was busy and fun.  I attended dinners and met some wonderful authors.  Plus putting on my very first workshop at an international festival was a wonderful opportunity to connect with an new audience. 

My 90-minute Caribbean Playground presentation on Saturday, March 11, 2017 was a success! I was nervous about keeping the kids engaged for that long but I soon realized that I had nothing to worry about. The kids learned about Caribbean Carnival history, a finger rhyme, and a folksong, played games, danced to soca, listened to stories, and asked amazing questions. My favourite questions were from Joshua who was probably about 8 years. He had several including "How do you choose from all your stories the ones to work on? How do you stay encouraged?" I was thinking, where did they find him? And when can he conduct my interviews? I am thankful for every presentation experience as they are practice for the next one. I've done 20+ so far and the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai was my first international festival. It never gets tired. Sign me up!!!!

I clearly found my picture book presentation style doppelganger in British children's book author-Illustrator, Sarah McIntyre (down to the hair extensions, glasses, and peacock blue African patchwork dress). We totally did not plan this but Sarah gets it and her outfit is "on point". Crazy!!! We bring the theatre and style to book talks.

I also met Smriti Prasadam-Halls, an Indian-British children's book author whose title, T-Veg about a vegetarian dinosaur, I purchased and got autographed.  I also met other delightful authors and notaries.

There were also two events that I attended before my festival presentation that were especially organized for participating authors and individuals.

The first event I attended was the Arabian Feast which was filled with a night of poetry at the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.  It was a lovely evening under the stars.

The second one I attended was the "Love Letters to the UAE" formal dinner event at the newly completed Etihad Museum.  More "festivaling" at the Love Letters to the UAE event and dinner as part of @emirateslitfest. The food was delicious, veggie options plentiful, and tablemates delightful. I even got a photo with the UAE's first Emirati woman spoken word artist, Afra Atiq, and met an aspiring author from Waterloo, Ontario (where I completed my undergraduate degree). The Etihad Museum is on the site of where the UAE was founded in 1971.