‘There’s no mystery to Black History‘ (that’s my little poetic saying). Parents from Jamaica. I have traced my ancestry back to the point when slavery was just abolished (around 1834).
And now nearly 200 years later in the UK my son and daughter are just learning about Black History in school. Wow. Is this ‘Titantic’ ship starting to turn? Who know, hopefully for everyone of colour, wherever we are all are, whatever status we hold, just maybe there are slivers of light appearing amidst the once long and eternally dark tunnel, that we have been treading.
As a would be poet, below is my first take on the many wonderful black inspirational people that have had endure; so people like me, don’t have to as much. More to follow throughout October (and maybe beyond) on other topics.
WHO ARE WE? (starting with the past)
We could be the person on the bus
Your name may be have been Rosa Parkes
Your life made to suffer by the colour of your skin
Yes; they have tried to keep us hidden; into the dark
We were the people without a voice
But Martin Luther made them hear
Look what they did to our dear proud brother
Because he made ‘them’ see what they all feared
We are the ones that move fast
Yes; Jesse Owens showed the dictator this
In the face of complete and utter oppression
It’s something that hasn’t quite fallen over the precipice
We have own Marvel Man from the past
No wheelchair in sight; but his name has an X
A voice for black empowerment
And contrary to many he wasn’t always vexed
A personal mentor; the first black female poet
If you don’t know; Phillis Wheatley was her name
George Washington recognised the talent
For every poet; she should be in your ‘hall of fame’
We need to be like our once enslaved Frederick Douglass
He fought to support those via the abolition of slavery
Putting pen to paper for all to read
His life, his very own Black History
We are the ones that Marshall the Good
Overturn the wrong for the right
Winning against segregation for the learning to occur
We thank him for providing; ‘out of darkness’ we too now have light
We are among the ‘greatest’ ones that had to rumble
The man with fists and feet of flight
Yes Cassius/Muhammed Ali knew how to move
You couldn’t stop him talking either; any day or night
We are the ones that have had to ACT
Mr. Poitier the consummate pro; won an Oscar
Imagine that in an era for his accolade
Showed that black people could also raise ‘the bar’
We should be Harriet Tubman the saviour
Literally saving over 300 enslaved souls
Nursing her community to a better educated life
She was dedicated, selfless and bold
We are the forerunner’s to make things happen
From a seat of power to make the change
Shirley Chisholm started the political race
And now her stepping stones has put us on the front page
We are the entrepreneur’s with a million in the bank
Madam C J Walker knew how to make ‘hair pay’
Making jobs for over 3,000 people at that time
Means we continue to use her genius every single day
We are everyone, everything, just like you
We have beautiful, hair, colour, skin and eyes
We are proud, clever, funny with intelligence
We are here, we are all together, let’s all keep aiming for that prize…
With the Bond movie (no.25) delayed again until 2021, get your fix here with a poetic adaptation of the second in the franchise. Starting of course with the silky, dulcet tones of Matt Munroe ‘ From Russia With Love’. In today’s climate it all seems a million miles away from the title?
Read, muse, enjoy and look out for the next installment ; the man ‘who loves gold…‘
(2) Russian Love…
The second outing for 007
Delivered itself in nineteen sixty-three
For some; they were in spy heaven
$100m+ earned, showed many lapped it up with glee
From Matt Monroe’s lilting tone
You could be deceived by SPECTRE
Bond is supported; so not alone
As Rosa Klebb plans to get ya!
The fluttering eyelids of Romanova the clerk
Added glamour to the impending doom
The ‘golden’ Lektor sent all sides berserk
There’s never enough space in any ultimate spy room
With a journey to the east, to Turkey
007 moved quietly to seek assistance
In those tunnels that could be a jot murky
They didn’t find any resistance
On the Orient Express up close and personal
Psycho agent Grant removed Karim Bay
May his body and soul rest on eternal
As Bond has a ‘case’ to respond; without delay
Romanova remains torn, which side to select
Bond attempts to change her mind
Klebb has other ideas; ensuring she doesn’t defect
Only once choice left, as he’s now he’s out of time
Swift feet see’s Klebb attack 007
A poisoned metal tip in her shoe
They fight and dance and its only quarter past eleven
Company of Fools: Selling for Love & Life, Is a Tricky Business considers the unfulfilled ambitions of Justin Whalley, who dreams of success in love and career, but instead faces a series of disasters.
His upbringing and countenance are unremarkable, his family “close, but in a distant, unspoken way” which he mirrors in an adult life, which is quiet. Despite the fact that Justin has resolved to “not end up like them, content with very little, and had no freedom, no place to call their own,” the fact is that he’s in danger of doing just this, until he stumbles into high drama and death at work and comes to realize that romance and success come with price tags.
As new opportunities in business and love change his trajectory and his relationships, Justin finds himself out of his league in many ways, discovering more conundrums and complexity to living a vivid life than he’d imagined:
“We ventured our separate ways, with my mind flicking back and forth over Tom’s wife and her son. Vicky sat alone in some hotel probably crying or bored shitless. Chelsea at work and her precocious little Robert, who was slowly becoming a thorn in my side. Shaun soon to skulk off back to Dublin. And Errol rolling around with the leggy and the sexual ‘one look and you’re turned on’ Sally. Who said my life wasn’t exciting?”
J W Nelson does a fine job of taking an ordinary, common man with quiet ambitions and turning his life upside down. There’s a cast of characters that surround him in work and romance and affect his course in life; there are situations that leave him swimming against the tide; and too many possibilities leave him both excited and frustrated over his life’s unexpected changes.
Justin’s attempt to stay on course against this onslaught of change and challenge makes for a fun, engrossing romp through life that juxtaposes philosophical considerations with psychological growth:
“These transcendent thoughts are like smoke, here now and disappearing in a flash. Living in the moment, I had to remind myself. Focus on my true inclinations from the start. On my work goals. My life goal, utilising the experience and support from those around me.”
Company of Fools depicts an ‘Everyman’ changing the course laid out by family and his own expectations of what life is. Its tale of irony and opportunity, the mixed bag of success and unexpected obstacles, and the process of overcoming hurt and failure to enter a better life provides a gripping story that is poignant, funny, and thought-provoking all at once. It’s infused with British culture and changing relationships that keep readers both on their toes and delighted by unexpected twists and turns.
Hello – Reviews i’m told are only part of the whole book sales and marketing cycle. I’m new to this so i’ll take the words of those who have trodden this well beaten path before me and done it successfully too.
Hopefully in I to, may be a party to this exclusive club, for now here is what i hope will be ‘one of many’.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2020. A great, amusing book. For anyone who has been in a sales environment and the crazy stuff that goes on there, this is an amusing read that rings true! A fun novel to spend some leisure time with if you want to experience the highs and lows of working in a high pressure sales environment.
For UK customers I can sign a copy if you are wanting to purchase a copy – let me know and I can purchase on your behalf, sign it and forward on (I accept paypal ).
I’m hoping to at some stage (depending on sales and for things to be ‘more open’) in the current environment to have a author slot at a local library – again where i can carry out signings and discuss my book and other writing work i’m currently engaged in.
Finally for those thinking of Christmas (Yes, I know its that time already), I have a E-book entitled – Poems for the Festive Season (On amazon and Goodreads)
Go to: https://amzn.eu/6jnktS4 for a taster of the comedic, hopeless romantic and dramatic turns of events that befall our very own Justin Whalley, throughout his fractious time seeking out those 3 life goals:
A good job (one tick)
A girlfriend / wife (trying very hard)
A family (need to get number 2 first – ideally!)
Purchase the paperback or download the e-book to see how Justin navigates the ‘mysterious’ world of work, relationships, women and day-to-day living!
See a trailer of the Company of fools here: or follow me on twitter…(@jwnelson3)
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