Words Is What I'm Doing (Paperback)

Words is what I'm Doing is a collection of story notes and poems based on stories the author heard as a child and in adulthood, recalling the lives of ancestors, current family, and friends and mentors of the Poet. Although the stories can be classified as faction the poems are factual and are an eclectic mix of love, loss, passion and humour. The story notes are in chronological order starting in 1807 when the Poet's ancestor John Peters arrives in Liverpool on a slave ship sold because of his runaway blood culminating in the author's journey to Liverpool in 2008. Intermingled with the poems the story notes tell of colourful characters such as Mimosa protege of Obeah Woman Ben, the wilful Clementina who found it hard to love, the thoughtful Jeremiah Grant-Peters along with Emily Cupid the daring member of the pigmentocracy. The book offers stark contrasts, for example the Poems "Is the Poet Wearing Thongs?" and "R.J. used to be a Poet, but now he's just a drunk" are in sharp contrast to the poems about the brave Mimosa or The Demon Drink, each reflecting a serious and also humorous side to the Poet offering the readers rhyme schemes and choice words to draw them in.