Today, we introduce you to our first place winner Ms. Rosemarie Siewnarine! Ms. Siewnarine shared with us, “Whilst 2020 was a year of great change, with a pandemic that directed the world to stop and to readjust and conform to new ideals, I was moved by the topic; an Attitude of Gratitude to echo in poetry the theme, persons, feelings, the world at large and the unfolding gift of such attitude.
I had the task of reaching, assisting, counseling, providing food, money and other essentials from whatever little my family and I possessed to my students and others. As a student of the UWI, I was challenged to be in class, research and complete my assignments. We faced challenges like friends and family members dying, persons we knew contracted Covid-19, persons lost jobs, friends became depressed, our churches closed and family members were stuck abroad.
Amidst all this I still found the attitude and the drive to be grateful for the grace to serve others and develop myself as well. As I wrote this poem, the words flowed, my heart echoed and I saw it all; the experience, the families we reached, my SEA students, friends, family, my university experience and the words came forth. It was, however, on the 31st December 2020, I sat, pondered and within five minutes the poem came forth.
You can only develop such an attitude and show gratitude as you embrace life’s experiences for life experiences is the teacher of all things. I learnt I grew, I became even better and so the words of this poem will tell a story of such….Embrace.”