Clifton Roberto Wilson

Poetry and other writings.

 

I started writing poetry before I was 10 years old.

I know that because, I came to St. Maarten in 1964, at the age of 10 and I already had a song written. I don'tr remember the words of that song, except for a part that said;

“I’ll be going away, going some day

Going away from you

 I’ll be going and crying, feeling so blue

Knowing that I’m going from you”

I would sing that song to myself, over and over.

Was I a young romantic who was writing for a girl or was I writing to Aruba, the island of my birth? I don't know.

 

On St. Maarten, I continued to write. I wrote and kept my writing to myself. I was writing in what I called ‘Caribbean English’. I would write about anything that touched me in one way or another. When I was about 15, I may have felt or sensed some shame about my ‘Caribbean English’, because I started re-writing my poetry in the ‘Queen’s English’.

Needless to say, the writing had lost it's feelings and I don’t know, to this date, if I threw them all away or just ignored them. The bottom line is I no longer have them.

I wrote lyricsin the form of songs and sent them to the USA to have music put to them.

One actually made it on to a demo LP, but there was never any word of how it did, financially.

I also tried my hand at writing calypsoes. The songs were well accepted.

 

I remember the first time I read a poem that had parts written in ‘Caribbean English’.

I was shocked and amazed and so happy to see that it ‘could be done’.

That changed my writing attitude and I went back to being me; writing in 'Caribbean English.

 

In my late teens, I started writing letters to the Editor of the newspaper, and later, newspapers on St. Maarten. Some of the topics I addressed were;

- moving the car rental booths on the inside of the airport arrival area.

- a ‘Public’ transportation system, with Government-owned busses.

- changing the electoral laws, so that the voter has direct input in who gets elected.

- words of wisdom to the youth of the island.

 

In the early days, I would write and rewrite the letters until they clearly said what I wanted to say.

There was always the risk that the person retyping it, would omit a word and that could defeat the meaning of the entire letter.

 

Hurricanes Hugo and Louis each took part of my house and most of my poetry. I am currently re-writing what I can and writing new material

As I find my poetry and other writings, I will add them to this site.