I began to feel the urge to write down words thats formed into poetry in the summer of 2002. I clearly remember being in my office at the time, choking with misery and stress about many difficulties I was experiencing at the time. I began rummaging around for something to write on (as you do in an Art Department office!). I clearly recall grabbing a ’till receipt from my desk and scribbling a few words down on it, on top of the printed information. (I probably still have that receipt somewhere). The words flowing out related to my feelings about a relationship that ended about 10 years before – voices that were silenced back then, were still deep within me, demanding expression.

There was a feeling of calm and release after writing down words that at the time were just feelings. It was like I had no other safe way of getting those feelings out, except to put them on paper, which I then pushed into my pocket and got on the with rest of my day. Months later, I had a shoe-box at home filled with these scraps of paper.

The poetry I write is very personal and speaks of the perspective and struggles to understand myself and the world around me. Although I did a 2 week poetry writing course at the City Lit College in London, UK, I do not have any formal education in poetry, except feeling mesmerised by the poetry of Robert Burns and Samuel Taylor Colerdige during English Literature lessons in school. I grew up just by Railton Road in Herne Hill, South London, so the dub poetry and spoken words of Linton Kwesi Johnson, Mikey Smith, Mutabaruka, and Benjamin Zephaniah also accented my youth. As did Maya Angelou and many poems I have discovered along my life journey.  I’m sure each of their work has influenced me somewhere in my subconscious. The words come to me at times in rhyme however its not a rule i like to stick to often. I enjoy elements of humour and surprise as well as writing poems of my sensual and erotic experiences.

You can listen to my spoken word poetry at this Soundcloud Folami Bee.

I am happy to receive invitations to perform across Europe or further afield.