TIMELESS ROOTS MEDIA 'Culturally Conscious' GLOBAL EXCHANGES

A TIMELESS INNAVIEW with DAVID L. WEEKS~WRITER/POET/WORD SMITH

Somewhere in this world

Now is the time for our words

To touch someone's Life

Each poem written

Is always written for someone

Somewhere

DAVID L. WEEKS

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A TIMELESS INNAVIEW with DAVID L. WEEKS, writer,poet/word smith

By Hailemah Amhara Solomon

As a writer, journalist, and poet myself with a profound love of language and the word sound's power, I find it ironic to explain why I had to find just the right words to paint the colourful picture of writer, poet, philosopher my brother (bredren in faith) DAVID L. WEEKS.

I get speechless in the awe of his prolific blessings of the two edged sword, the tongue, delivering messages and idyllic journeys of life love, the celestial heights, in romantic symmetries, sometimes raw and urgent messages riveted and punctuated in his fathomless love of His people and The Almighty.

It has been just over four years since I met David on another social website (Myspace) and I was struck by the fiery eyes and chiseled face crowned by a hefty blessings of dreaded locks. Once I peeled forward the skins of newness of the friendship, I discovered a deeply grounded character of intellect, poise and grace but more impressive his profound love of his craft as a word smith.

As a poet myself, I was delighted to find out that he was the author of a vital works of poetic artistry entitled ANCIENT TRADITION, soul poetry which he published in 2000. I was immediately intrigued and requested to purchase a copy as well as a few extra copies which I promoted on a large RasTafarI website I managed. It was a pleasant surprise to discover also that David resided in my vicinity and was able to deliver the books in person.

What I found most amazing about this incredible human being was that David was born with Cerebral Palsy. Rather than taking the platter he was served in this life as a disadvantage, he furled his faith to the stars, reached for his fate, and carved out his destiny! Curiously, after four years, I just discovered that David's other pastime, his career, was in information technology, and he is a graduate of Bowie State University in MD,U.S. He worked on one of the NASA's bases on the Hubble Space Telescope Project. I will never cease to be impressed and humbled by David's passion for life, his work, and his expression of poetic art.

After four years and intermittent communication via the internet and social websites, our friendship and mutual respect have grown and I give thanks for having been blessed with meeting David. When I co-authored my late Father's recent publication on True Planetary Motions and Rhythmic Climatic Changes, it was David who represented the RasTafarI community by being the only one who travelled over 35 miles from Baltimore /Glen Burnie to be in support on a snowy February afternoon earlier this year. I was moved to tears to see him sitting alone awaiting my presence and presentation. That is what true friendship is to me.

I met David for the third time again this recent week, at that very restaurant to pick up another copy of his book for my other poetic long time literary genius, Vaughn Benjamin, of the roots reggae band, Midnite, coincidentally also from the island of St. Croix. As I entered the Everlasting Life restaurant & cultural center on a hot and humid summer afternoon in Washington, DC, I was greeted by David already served the Ital platter he travels far from Glen Burnie to visit this venue to enjoy! I joined him in warm greetings:

Hailemah: Blessed Love Bredren, give thanks for meeting me, please don't'let me interrupt your meal, I can reason with you as we go along?

David: Greetings sistren, good to see you, I really wanted to share lunch, you will not be eating?

Hailemah: No, sorry, I grabbed a bite before coming, I am on fruit today, give thanks! But I will try the cleansing juices it sounds delicious, give thanks.

David, still wearing his 2 feet long dread locks, is vital, vibrant and wholesome looking with deep set bright eyes and a bearded face, looks like an excerpt from the ancient of days! I settle to drink my Ital juices and begin to jot down David's natural soft spoken banter as we let the energy just flow between us.

Hailemah: So David, is there a beginning? where we shall start? I can't help but give respect to the first of your mentor, your Mother, Blessings be upon her, will you share her with me?

David: Well, as you know Hailemah, I was close to my Mother from early childhood. Her passing recently really changed my life. She was orphaned very early in her childhood and learned early to become fiercely independent by necessity. She was a no nonsense woman and raised me and my older brother alone. I was just 8, and my Brother was 10 when our Father died. My Mother was a homemaker, after My Father died she made everything as normal as can be, making sure we had everything. Having had benefits from our father's military pension, my Mother made do, we had a roof over our heads, ate three meals a day and we never went to school dirty or tattered. She worked hard all her life and was always healthy, never sick, I never saw her sit down to eat, she was always busy with making life good for us.

Hailemah: I know David, how powerful a force your Mother was in your life, I remember seeing the image of her and you that you used as your Myspace profile picture. I would often send greetings to you and her, (smile) so shall we start with your writing, with your early days in St.Croix as a boy?

David: I was really an artist first, before a writer. I wasn't into literature, the required traditional Shakespeare, and the like, my writing actually started by accident, in college. In my English class, I had a good relationship with my teacher who asked us to make a journal of our daily activities. I soon got bored with writing about that, and my first real literary piece was about the pros and cons of shoe laces, vs. Velcro closures for tennis shoes!

Hailemah: Wow, how fascinating, a seemingly insignificant matter to most, but highly important to developing children and adaptation of necessary motor skills in tying shoelaces, yes I, please continue.

David: From there my writing took on a more analytical mode in writing about social issues and other areas that interested me. I didn't write romantic/ love poems much from in the beginning, it wasn't until I met a woman who inspired me tremendously. It was from her inspiration that I drew most of my passion to write those pieces flavored by her love. It is from this time that I did some of my best writing, romantically.

Hailemah: Ah, yes, blessed love Bredren, for sharing that with us, I know the well of emotions well myself, bless!.....There are a set of questions ,usually five, that I ask my interviewees, one of them is your professional, or pen name, where does yours, ANCIENT TRADITION spring from?

David: I was not always known as ANCIENT TRADITION, in my youthful days growing up in St.Croix, my "Dread" name was SHAMBALA, which I saw flashed on the screen of an American band's video, and loved the sound of it, so I began to use it from then. I choose the name ANCIENT TRADITION in 1996, when I wound up on poet group/chat site and began using the handle. From the two words, ANCIENT, of being ,as some would say to me, "You are an OLD SOUL!", and TRADITION from our ancestry and tradition of poets, or GRIOTS of Afrika. The name became the personification of who/what I was evolving into.

Hailemah: Most people , as I and you being writers, have used various means to get exposure for our works, such as this medium, the writer's interview, or as I call it here on Timeless Roots Media, a 'Timeless Innaview'. What have you been doing to promote ANCIENT TRADITION, the book"?

David: My first book of poetry I wrote was published in 2000 as ANCIENT TRADITION, which I have primarily used the poet's chat rooms and the social websites to give exposure to my works. I ,unlike people like you, Hailemah,who have the gift of PR and promotions, do not have that gift. God gave me this gift of writing but he did not give me the vehicle to move them! That is why I appreciluv what you do Hailemah.

Hailemah: I overs(stand), bredren, it is one thing to write a great works of literary worth and not have the means to market it, that is sadly the fate of thousands of Haile talented writers and artists. I fulljoy giving to others, promoting others helps me to give forward in my ability to do so as a media personality, website creator, marketing and public relations professional. I do it from love, like you, up to this year, never charging for my services, except as you well know, publishing even though self publishing is now an option for writers, that route as an alternative to traditional publishing is largely still rather expensive. We cannot continue to give away our works which is Haile honourable but not very cost effective or practical to surviving to create another work!

David: Yes, I used to freely share my poetry before I published my book and I still freely share new works that I write, as my poetry being of a spiritual nature the value is in making someone else inspired to develop and pursue their own dreams. But I would ask Jah(God) why he would give me the talent to write and inspire others, yet not give me the talent to market it! I leave it to Jah, and to ones like you Hailemah. Give thanks.

Hailemah:, Most welcomed Bredren, I too, wish I could continue to give my books away, just dump into the clouds and let them rain down purple! LOL,But we both know the value is a labour of love, despite the lack of support in some areas.

David: Yes sistren, making someone else inspired has been my driving force, but also I will not sell my soul to capitalism. As we have reasoned sistren on the survival in challenging times, in these times, many will not survive for they are not of the spiritual world, but from the world of materialism. Where are all the diamonds, god and precious metals that they fight endless wars for, they are in Afrika! They will sell their souls to gain the richest of everything, and lose their souls!  Many will not survive in any type of catastrophe, but Rastaman can!

Hailemah: Yes I Bredren, spiritual groundedness places us in a place of co-captainship with the Creator , doing His will, in His time, we are in synch with the laws of nature, the Earth planet, and the cosmos. In your works, particularly, 'IGZIABEHER', just ONE of my favourites, as the entire book can becomea list of my favourites, for real! (smile). As it goes in this one:

Under a Grape Tree, I sat gazing across the sea;

With my eyes fixed on the horizon, I wondered how

All things came to be.

Everyone has a different story. Despite all the

Various stories I must recognize that FORCE ,

That ONE FORCE that makes this whole universe a

Reality. I call this Force by HIS name, JAH, so

I must say: "Igziabeher, (Let JAH Be Praised)".

I found the natural flow and simplicity of its fluidity and appreciluvness of nature, the Almighty and the seemingly simple things we all tend to take for granted,(the Grape Tree, the sea, the whole universe), I find it all so much a reflection of the age old questions and search of every living soul, to refer to our FORCE, the ONE FORCE that you so reverently give praises and honour to. I give thanks to HIM, the Creator, for YOU David, for the reflection of his divine doings in the making of men such as you who love from the source, our MOTHERS, Your SISTERS and lovers, your Bredren in true selflessness, give thanks David for sharing of your self, your time this afternoon with me and for giving me permission to share this with the world!

David: Blessed Love sis Hailemah and thank you.

I parted with my friend David that afternoon, knowing that the parts of ourselves that we share with others through our faith in Jah, will be rewarded tenfold, in the equation of Life!

For book copies contact David at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1633099117

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** We Never Know, When The Words We Are Inspired To Write, Will Be That

Shining Light, Somewhere At The End Of Someone`s Dark Tunnel ** DLW

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