- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 18/Aug 03:29

Harold Mikal Smart publishes book of poems

Harold Mikal Smart, 75, of Vistabella, San Fernando, has transformed a lifetime of experiences into his latest work, Colours – A collection of poems. The former primary school principal, who retired from the teaching service in 2009, will turn 76 in September. The father of five and grandfather of six began writing poetry in his early teens. “The earliest poem in this book was written when I started secondary school at St Benedict’s College, La Romaine, around the age of 12 or 13,” he recalled. “The book speaks of my experiences and observations in life. It speaks about my interactions with friends. It also speaks about death, and I am well aware that we cannot live forever.” The 79-page book was published this month by Austin Macauley Publishers in London. It is divided into six themed sections: Colour Me Dreamer, Colour Me Lover, Colour Me Friend, Colour Me Anti-Colonial, Colour Me Observer and Colour Me Thinker on Death (My Own). [caption id="attachment_1172740" align="alignnone" width="723"] A copy of Colours – A collection of poems. [/caption] Each section blends real and imagined experiences, expressed through rhyme and vivid imagery. Apart from his career in education, Smart is also a visual artist. He deliberately used the word “colour” in the title to invite readers to “paint” him in various roles – dreamer, friend, observer, and more. In Recess, one of his playful school-themed poems, he writes: “I will like to paint a picture, colour it bright red, but I must stay right here studying mathematics instead. I’ll like to hear some music, a song to sing along, but as I daydream, my goodness, my sum is wrong.” Smart also created all the book’s illustrations, including the cover art of his younger self. One drawing inside the book is based on one of his earliest paintings, completed in 1968, just 13 months after the death of his adopted mother – a time, he said, when he was “burdened by thoughts of finality.” His anti-colonial stance is strongly expressed in Discoverers/Monsters, The First Pandemic: “With the power of a mighty tsunami in three small boats, the first pandemic came by Spain’s discoverer/monster. Christopher Columbus was his name. The title of discoverer was a false claim to fame.” Smart previously self-published an earlier version of Colours but chose to withdraw it after noticing “multiple errors.” As for audience, Smart is unconcerned about targeting a specific readership. “My concern was to write, to reflect, to state from my perspectives. Whoever reads, if they choose to, is free to form their opinions. I write as I feel.” Colours is available on Amazon in paperback with plans to sell it locally. Anyone interested in buying the book can call Smart at 357-0429   The post Harold Mikal Smart publishes book of poems appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.