Open Mic Night @ St. Thomas! Mercury, Self-Expression, & The Constellation

A while ago in August, after I met Rachelle Shells, she had spoke of the open-mic night here. I was invited to be a part of it. On 9 - 11, I went into the library and Rachelles told me to take my Pantera IPOD outta my ears. She said, “The woman I told you of about the open mic night is here. We both sent you an email and you’re here. Lets go to my office.” I met Dara. One of the members for The Rock Collective.

"Our mission... to provide a free and welcoming space, both physically and figuratively, on St. Thomas for the sharing of music, creative writing, and visual and performance art."

~from the Rock Collective Mission Statement


I spoke some things and created record of that open mic night with the only instrumental I have made in my multimedia class last fall. I just began to speak of the top of my head. I remember some of what I said and I’m certain I’m not going to put it in you tube. They all were really receptive to me and interacted in encouragement. It felt good maan : )

I had mentioned how pain ain’t a thang but my emotions went berserk / Havin’ too much crazy fun with the machines when I’m at work.

I had mentioned how Mercury was taking it’s orbit and astrologically, it meant strong curiosities. I told them what it was like living under glass. How female fairy tales felt. I told them of how I held my head to the sky and made my life more than millions all because I tried. I explained fighting demons of doubt because it ain’t some shit I can shake if it ain’t nothing I’ve ever been about. I had mentioned how I purged everything honest in Saint Thomas. I had mentioned existing in machine screens. And I project what I do in youtube because it reflects some of the things I knew. I had explained how I’d swim with the dolphins and then be in awe again because when I was 23, I never knew how much woulda became possible for me. Because their isn’t another other person out there at all who had the same things happen the same way they have for me, since I had almost died (What I had felt throughout my international travels). I had mentioned things I am afraid of that I’ll have to face; Things within weird eerie unsafe surroundings, things I have to decide, things I contemplate late at night. I had spoke of how a man needs the transition of each season for reasons that keep a man’s head healthy. And that going from summer to winter seems insane a season ahead of time and I’m no where near there. I had spoke in all truthfulness regarding being self-made and experienced, that some things can eat you up or beat you down. And that sometimes nothing comes easy. I guess I also spoke of thoughts beyond the box. Some things were excited, somber, sweet, hurtful, sincere, sudden. With a psychology like mine, I acknowledged how my mind felt like it mighta been in a vice for a lot of what’s gone on in life. But that the blissfulness outweighed things that made me pissed. I had spoke of the Age of Aquarius and how things seemed like mechanical channels. And that I wondered what Keiko musta felt like when he got removed from his pod for all the Free Willy shit. And how it also might have been like the Figure in Ishmael. I talked about how I was in Ireland which was mathematically a third of the world away because there are 24 time zones ( or hours) and I was 8 time zones away from home which meant that I was a third of Earth’s time further ahead of home. I had also spoke of my cardinal fire sign and how the polar opposite part of the year was the 2nd month of the year (February) and how the substance of the two richest seasons (bein’ winter and summer) give reasons too great to take shape yet.

All these people were pretty cool in their approaches to me there after. They told me they thought I had a very strong voice and a true thought process. They asked me to keep coming…These words are what brought me into the Virgin Islands Radio Station across from Krum Bay in St. Thomas:

"May God be my guidance so I fight this demon known as doubt. Its something I cannot shake its somethin' I ain't been about. And of what off the top of my head... To be honest within St. Thomas I'd exalt a Goddess. In all honesty if I wanting to be something of a reality inside a internet screen... For things that were projected through youtube because I do what I do... I love to make what I create because it reflects the things I knew. I'd swim with the dolphins in the tropic and exotic islands... It had been a desire of mine since when I was in the University tryin'. 26 years old when I was 23 I could see that certain things would become possible for me. I broke my back. Got my gut cut open and stapled shut. 4 and half months ago I almost f*****' died... But Now I'm livin' life and it can't get better. I wrote a significant girl a buncha worthless-ass letters."

Later after we got home, it wasn’t too long after 9 that I came across a really cool crew of us UVI guys and we all went to the beach for a social session. I was in awe as I saw certain night life under these tropical street lights. I was bewildered and fascinated more so than I ever have been. Things seemed very new and true even though the only people who know so are the people who see me through you tube. I realized I’ve learned more in the last half-year than I have perhaps ever in my life. I guess because all my years are starting to take perspective now. And somehow, I survived things that would make most people cringe. I made my chances in life very absolute. I took certain things and put them in my palm. And I also somehow became more amplified in my humor and experience.

After rendering thoughts like this, something happened that I have never seen in my life. Something symbolic. I saw the Leo constellation for the first time in the tropical night sky. I thought that was crazy. I never saw it back at home. It was like certain moments I’ve seen in some of the most powerful, deep, meaningful movies I’ve watched. I was the only one who was seeing this as I knew what it meant to me.