Christa William
I met Christa William for the first time last week. She’d recently won a poetry competition and I wanted to discuss her victory, as well as her love for poetry, amongst other things.
We met in the heart of Castries on a busy Saturday. She stood out in the crowd. Her long braids flowed effortlessly as she walked alongside her mother who’d accompanied her.
She was extremely pleasant; her personality, infectious, just the way I like it. We sat in a spacious office at The VOICE and there I found out more about Christa. A beautiful girl with bright eyes, immense talent, and a love for Jesus Christ.
“When I was in form five we had to do an SBA for CXC. We had to do a written piece; I decided to do a poem. (When my teacher read the poem) she asked me if I Googled it because she couldn’t believe I was the one who wrote it. I realized it was a gift so from that point I started pursuing it,” the 21-year-old said.
Christa William
The poem focused on teenage pregnancy, the brutal reality some teens face as a result, and the unforgiving nature of peers…
“People mock, laugh, see you as a fool; sharp words pierce you from left to right, but you get back up and put up a fight,” the poem reads in part.
“I love poetry because it gives me a platform and a way to express myself and reach people I (normally) wouldn’t be able to reach. I recently participated in (the Poetry Slam Competition organized by the Ubuntu Movement as part of celebrations for Emancipation Month) where I did a piece entitled ‘Rejection vs Love’,” she said.
“I knew people needed to hear it. (I wasn’t focused on) winning. My goal was just to put my poem out there so if one life could have been touched by it, that would have made me happy. It was about a young boy who got into drugs and violence,” Christa stated.
The poem (a reflection of Saint Lucia) captures the island in its frail state; one plagued by homicides and strife.
Christa William
“I was praying on behalf of the young men and God just laid it on my heart that I needed to write this: it’s like something just came over me so I began writing and he (God) started giving me ideas,” she said.
In the end, Christa emerged victorious; her plea etched in the minds of attendees. It was the second competition she’d participated in and her first victory. The latter was undeniably sweet.
Christa has only written a few poems but the world is hers for the taking… hopefully, her poetry will capture the attention of many.
“I would like my poems to go abroad to reach the people that it needs to reach and to affect lives for the better. I love taking people from where they are and elevating them through my words,” the Vieux Fort resident said.
Her aspirations are endless (she is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management) and from what I’ve seen she can only soar from here.
Christa William
“I would just like to tell everybody that Jesus loves them. You are valuable and you are worth it; keep going, be strong, there is hope,” she said towards the end of the interview.
A good writer feeds the soul… Christa does all that and more.—Story by: R. Marvlin
