The Gathered Petals: The Poetic Life of a Gullah/Yamassee Woman by Dr. Pazanta Byars
- Mikaba Publishing
- Jan 27, 2024
- 3 min read
Paperback – Published February 4, 2021
by DR. PAZANTA H. BYARS (Author)
Poetry written in short narratives, rhyme, Haiku,
and freestyle will indulge and delight the reader!
The Gathered Petals is my very first book written. Whenever I dreamed of writing my own book, I imagined that it would be called, ‘The Gathered Petals.’ I always associated my life as a flower whose petals that had been torn apart…into pieces. Without going into much detail here, I eventually began to share the ‘ripping’s’ of my life in my third book, ‘Reaping the Sheaves.’ I found it very interesting that my brother Alvin E. Hicks also entitled his book, ‘Flight of the Rosebud: Petals from the Past.’ He and I grew up together, one year apart, so we experienced much of the same traumas. We seemed to equate ourselves with flowers that had been destroyed but in later years, gathered due to healing, forgiveness, and the wisdom of God.
In ‘The Gathered Petals,’ I share my poetry from the time I was 14 years old up until today (or until the book was published). I separate my chapters into Beauty & Pride, Nature & God, Healing, Love & Romance, Relationships, Family & Friends, Self-love, Social Awareness, and Black Man. My very first poem written that I had the guts to share with others, was when I was 14 years old. It is a poem about nature, and I wanted to capture the stream and forest that was next to my home. I would go to the stream, sit there, and rest in the beauty of the sound of the stream and how beautiful the sun was glistening through the woods and reflecting off of the trees, grass, and leaves. I had to capture this in a form that rhymed because to make it rhyme would somehow allow the reader to ‘feel’ the beauty of the moment. The poem, ‘The Stream,’ is the following:
“As I step upon this stone, Away from the bristled carpet of this land,
I am captured by the sweetness of this flow, beneath my stand.
The sparkles reflect the lamp of the day, upon my bronzed surface.
The freshness of this wet crystal body, Penetrates the heights of my mind.
The sounds of this waterfalls’ stream
Amuse my newborn fantasies,
Yet reveal the pleasure of my childish play.”
As you can see, I was able to rhyme only two lines, but I began to understand how to write poetry by just going with the flow from within myself. Sometimes it will rhyme, sometimes it may not. Writing poetry is really like painting a picture…it can be abstract…there are really no rules. Of course, there are categories, but whatever flows outward, if it is genuinely coming from within, will flow and rhyme almost naturally. The words will just come.
There is another poem I wrote in response to a movie that was out in the 1980’s. The sergeant was putting down one of his fellow soldiers and calling him a ‘Geechee.’ He was insulting him and telling him that he hated ignorant Geechee’s. I was Livid!! I could not believe this man said these terrible things about Geechee people especially since I am a Geechee woman.
This inspired me to write a beautiful poem about Geechee men. It is the following:
“You’re my pretty Geechee man, ‘whooing’ on beach, water, sand.
Your velvet darkness, black as blue
Regal shadow against the stars and moon.
Your eyes so bright, and teeth so white,
Strength as firm as oak.
You love is naïve, sweet as palm trees,
My fancy you tease and poke.
Oh, love me man and hold me near
So, I can feel your skin,
Which glistens with warm ocean juices,
I just might let you in.
This night is so right, me with you Geechee Knight
Celebrated by the waves dancing,
Let’s stop the time, and abide in the light,
Of our islands exotic prancing.”
My poetry reflects various time periods of inspirations, frustrations, grief, joy, imaginations, reverence, honor, romantic fantasies, spiritual revelations, cultural appreciation, self-esteem, and healing. This is a book of my life…but in poetry. I also share poems about my Native American tribe called the Yamassee. That’s right…my great-grandfather was a Yamassee Native American who was married to my great-grandmother who was a Gullah woman. I am proud of my lineage, and I try to reflect that in my poetry.
I also love to recite my poetry and during Spoken Word presentations, I recite my poetry to soft flute sounds or sounds that can set a relaxing mood. I love for my poetry to be felt and experienced. Even though I’ve written One book of poetry it is 138 pages of poetry that I’ve written over the years. In my other two books that are now published, I include more poetry as well. In ‘The Gathered Petals,’ I hope that you too will enjoy my poetry…and I will be sure to publish another book with poetry that will reflect the past few years of my life. Until that time…peace and many blessings.