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Midwife gives birth to poems

Published:Sunday | March 13, 2022 | 12:08 AMShanna Monteith - Gleaner Writer
Poet Marcia Blair.
Poet Marcia Blair.

Despite forgoing her true passion, a career in journalism, due to a speech impediment, Marcia Blair refused to neglect her love for writing.

Now, the woman who has served as a midwife for over 16 years, is using her love for the art to help others give birth to wholesome values.

“I started writing extensively in 2009, and in four months I wrote over 300 poems. I realised that I could write since primary school, and one of my career choices was journalism, but due to my stuttering challenges, I opted for nursing,” she shared.

The registered nurse, who recently published her collection of over 500 personal poems dubbed R ecollections: Poems for Every Occasion, is beaming with pride as she lives part of her lifelong dream.

The project, she shared, surprisingly, was completed in just over a year and was inspired by a passion to motivate others in their times of need, especially given the pandemic environment.

Also a passionate preacher with a ministerial diploma in theology, Blair noted that Recollections – Poems for Every Occasion is a melting pot of culture, love, and celebration through poetry, and as the title suggests, includes pieces that are conveniently appropriate, even for church sermons.

Describing herself as a voice for the voiceless, she said: “I am passionate about touching people at the point of their needs, identifying with them in their situations and bringing a sense of hope, encouragement, and resolve, through poetry. I bring hope to the hopeless.”

A firm believer, who admitted that her creativity stemmed from her days of attending Sunday school at church, shared with Family and Religion her intention to inspire joy, healing, restoration, hope, strength, courage, and peace in the lives of others.

“I want them to feel God’s love reaching out to them at the point of their pain or need. I want others to be motivated to go to heights I have never gone. I want to build or strengthen self-esteem in young people and help them know their self-worth and value. These books are a means of holding their hands as they cross each river of life, climb mountains, and cross valleys,” the author noted, adding that the book is available on Amazon and upon request to her.