Poetic Motion

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted by me in early 2012 for Jumping at the Sun and first appeared there.

~Alisha

Much like her nickname, Nekeisha “Poetrinmotion” Blandin, is constantly in motion. Between career, family, friends and her writing, she is so on the go, JATS Writing Editor David Hubbard had trouble catching up with her to do this interview. But when he did, it was pure poetry. Discover more at her site, My Medium or on Twitter.

DH: How long have you been writing poetry?

NB: As cliché as it might sound, I’ve been writing for as long as I could remember. My parents have always encouraged self expression and an appreciation for the arts; whether it was through dance, music theatre or literature, we always were exposed to a creative culture.

DH: One of the things I love about poetry is its unique ability to say more than an entire novel. What do you love about poetry? Also why are you drawn to poetry versus other expressive forms?

NB: I love that poetry sometimes lets you break all the rules. You don’t have to always fit into a mold. In quite a few cases, there is no particular way it should sound or length it should be. You’re allotted freedom to express your deepest emotions with abandon. Best of all, each reader interprets the words differently based on their personal experiences. That’s one of things that make writing and self expression worthwhile, draws me in and keeps me wanting more. Poetry allows me to be most authentically me.

DH: Some poets view life experience and the creative experience as separate worlds that should not mingle. Others use life experience as the palette for the creative experience. Where do you fall in?

NB: I write about my life and the lives of my close family and friends. I feel that a piece is most relatable when it’s drawn from personal experience. When I write I am my most vulnerable. I allow my readers into an intimate place that most people that know me well, never get access to. I let down walls and invite the reader/listener in to view my scars, my joys, sorrows, hopes and dreams. I feel this is what makes my work so relatable. I show my readers that I am human too and remind them that someone out there has felt the way you feel. Someone out there understands.

DH: Do you ever try to be funny or serious in your poems, or does it happen by accident?

NB: I don’t feel as though I “try” to be anything other than who I am in the moment each piece is composed. I’ll put it like this, I think of myself as an orange. 🙂 What do you get once you remove the orange’s tough skin? The orange is divided into delicate segments. I have many “segments” or compartments to my personality. All of which, make me the person that you see before you. Different circumstances reveal diverse layers of my personality. With that in mind, I try to be as true to the moment as possible. Sometimes you find humor, even in the most serious situations. That’s what makes life interesting.

DH: I think the name Poetrinmotion perfectly matches the style of your work. There is a definite undercurrent that seems to effortlessly pull the reader into your world. That is pretty difficult to accomplish, and not every writer succeeds. What inspired the name Poetrinmotion?

NB: I came up with that pen name when I was a freshman in college. I liked the way it sounded because I could visualize the words. I wanted something that described who I thought was. I know now that I am still discovering who I am. Back then, poetry was freedom. Poetry defined self expression and I wanted to be able to say how and what I felt without restriction. Motion meant that I was constantly moving toward that state of euphoria.

DH: Who are your biggest influences? Any favorite poems or poets? And why?

NB: My life changed after I read Nikki Giovanni’s “Ego Tripping” I loved the way she manipulated words and gave them a new definition. Her word play amazed me, and still does. She is definitely one of my favorite poets. Ms. Giovanni, Walt Whitman, Rumi, the underground talent of spoken word circuits and many others have influenced me technically.

DH: The word play in your poem “Looking Glass” is alive, especially when spoken out loud. The words appear to refract in meaning and then splinter under the pressure of scrutiny, breaking again, falling naturally down the columnal form, to begin the process again. Is this intentional? Or is it one of those mysterious happenings, when form and intention hit that perfect mark?

NB: I never say exactly what I mean in a poem. I use quite a bit of metaphors and language that may suggest something completely different. That’s why so many people interpret my work quite differently. It is almost always intentional. I don’t want to be obvious because most events in life teach us parallel lessons. I always say, “Observation is key.” It all boils down to what we’re paying attention to.

DH: Are there any poems which you are especially fond of? If so, what’s the story behind them?

NB: I have a special place in my heart for every piece I write. However, one of my most personal pieces is “Awake” I had reached a point in life’s journey where I felt like I’d taken the wrong way on the proverbial “fork in the road”. I didn’t recognize who I was anymore. We all feel lost at times. That’s when I had to take a step back from everything and look within. I had to find the person I was and ultimately recognize that the person I had become was not whom I’d intended to be. “Awake” is about the journey back to my purpose. It’s kind of like Jonah; you can’t run from who you were meant to be and what you are destined to do.

DH: Have you ever performed live readings of your work?

NB: I haven’t performed my work in quite some time. I’m almost aching to get out there and share myself with others based on the feedback I get when I do readings with some of my closest friends. I may get back into the swing of things since I’ve had some recent career changes and breaks in my schedule.

DH: How do people respond to your work, both in the individual and communal sense?   Also, are you a part of a community of poets that provides feedback? Or do you work alone?

NB: People tend to respond positively to my work both individually and in the communal sense. I appreciate all their feedback, positive and negative, because it helps me improve. I am not currently part of a community of poets however I would like to gather some of the undiscovered talent that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting through social networking and collaborate on a few projects. You’d be surprised the plethora of talented individuals working just as hard as you to get their voices heard.

DH: Any plans for a book?

NB: I am currently working on my first book entitled “Mood Lighting Fire Escapes” A brief explanation of the title: When is mood lighting generally used? It’s used to set the atmosphere. For example, candle light for a romantic setting. And fire escapes? Fire Escapes are primarily utilized for exiting a building or avoiding danger. How do they go together and what does that have to do with a book of poetry? Everything. No matter what my mood or the atmosphere around me, I can use poetry as my way of escape. 🙂

DH: What is your method? Do you force yourself to write consistently? Or do you wait for the inspiration to come?

NB: I write when I am inspired. I may work on and complete one piece in 20 minutes and another may take weeks. I’ve even begun sleeping with a little notebook to jot down phrases that come to mind in the middle of the night. You’d be surprised what comes to mind during a good night’s rest.

DH: Anything else pop into your mind that would be interesting for readers to know?

NB: I want my readers to know that words are SO powerful. Use them as tools in carving out your own destiny. As the great Edward Bulwer-Lytton once said, “The pen is mightier than the sword“.

Poetic Motion

Looking Glass

My sixth sense
Has a
Sick sense
Of this nonsense
You call reality
And when I Ask for the truth
You simply
Lie to me
Undeniably
I allowed
The lie to be
A part of me
Pardon me
Partially
I attached you to
My anatomy
But as I Took the time to see
Opened eyes to
Your observation
Your donation
Soon required
An
Amputation
Because the combination
Of
Sincerity
And Falsification
Has resulted in Rejection of
Information
Your donation…
Has been corrupted
Break it down…
You broke me down
And I accepted the
Pre-approved Credibility
Without checking
Your credit-
Score
I want more
Than a weak
Week Of
Sweet nothings
And know-nothings
And half-hearted
Something or others
Come on brother
Romance me
Do that mating dance
That
Makes my mind
Find Time to Fall in love with you
Even when You’re not there
It’s rare
But
If this Affair can start
From The heart
Not the bed
And We first reach Mental euphoria In my head
We have accomplished
Greatness
That-
That first kiss
Can’t even comprehend Because in the end
You’d love me
Not just my body
And senses would sing praises
Because my
Sixth sense
Has a
Sick sense
Of this nonsense
You call reality
But if you find The God in me
You’d see…
I’m not that complicated
I’m simply me…

Awake

AWAKE…
From-
Restful slumber
Or so I thought
I wasted away
In a reality of sorts
I
Traveled on life’s
Tattered passport
Stamped by Customs
Whose customs
I could not
Become accustomed to
But as I entered new worlds
I accepted them as fact
I had a knack for assimilation
Chameleon colors
I adapted to change
Because they said it was
Constant
And consistency
Had found a way to tame
The roaring oceans of
Thought within me
At least for that moment…
But upon closer inspection
I caught a glimpse of
My refection
In a pool of tears
Cried overnight
Over fights
To cling to imagination’s lies
Rocked by the
Shock that
I was no longer
I Am’s
But had given myself to
Deception
But I
Caught-
On to the
Matrix
And affixed
My thought process
To the process
Of reincarnation
Not like a bird
Who
Changes from a tree
But a rebirth of
This spirit
Living waters inside of me
I wanna
Fly …
High…
No greenery
But ascend
In fact
Transcend
This monotony
And
Break the rocky
Foundation
Of this nation
Bred in spite of me
Realization built up
Inside of me…
It was time to
Turn on my heels
And
Head back to Calvary
See-
Chivalry isn’t dead
It’s-
Wrapped up in the
Father
And how can I
Expect a Fatherless child to
Treat me like a child
Of the most High?
*sigh*
I digress
I-
Remove shackles of stress
Take this burden off my chest
I shake the weight of yesteryear
And-
All those tears
Cried in vain
No more pain
Rest In Peace
To that broken frame
I have
Come alive
I have returned to the
Potter’s house
Prodigal daughter
I survived the slaughter
Passport tattered
Customs stamped
But His seal was upon me
He knows my name
AWAKE!
From restful slumber
Or so I thought…
Why hide in the shadows
Of life’s lies
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive and LIVE…