Poet: Jems Destiné, @droppinjems
Event: Shawn Whitsell’s All Poets to the Stage, @shawn_whitsell
Location: Darkhorse Theatre
https://darkhorsetheater.weebly.com/
Here I am
There was huge rainstorm on April 30th, 1992
The storm raged as I entered this world and
seems to haven’t stopped since.
I was born third in a family full of five boys.
I fell right in the middle like a puzzle piece
Confirmed in Port Salut, Ayiti (Port-Salut, Haiti)
My parents named me Jems
precious and valuable…..
But I was a very sick baby
So sick that my dad, a carpenter at the time,
was advised to go ahead and build my casket.
He couldn’t bring himself to do it,
my parents prayed and petitioned
like their lives depended on it.
Mine did.
They fought anxiety,
doubt,
and death.
And they won… here I am
Bio:
My name is Jems Destiné or droppinjems. I am a math teacher by trade and a poet by passion. I aim to inspire the world through stories that unravel my humanity. My hope is that my work will create an accurate and specific depiction of who I am; then ultimately who we are. May these anecdotes meet you where you are and bring you to a new perspective.