Nashauna Drummond, Staff Reporter
Left: DONNA HARRIOTT. Cover of book by Donna Harriott
DONNA HARRIOTT, mother of two, is the chairperson of the board of directors for the Kingston Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and recently published her first anthology, Spiritual Colours of Love. She describes her anthology as an experience with life and nature. "It speaks to how we lean on nature to go through times of sadness, loneliness. I'm a lover of nature, birds and trees; especially the tress that remind me of people. There are apple and pear trees and a variety of people with different types of personalities."
Harriott notes that in life you have to rely on your spirituality. "Spirituality is in many of us but some of us don't' find it. You cannot take the air you breathe or the sunshine for granted. I'm a spiritual person, I don't believe in religion but give thanks to the creator whoever we perceive him or her to be. God is in the air we breathe, He has no colour, He's a spiritual being."
Harriott has been working on her anthology for about four years. "Whatever happens in my life I write about it. Her poems speak of experiences of love and ecstatic relationship with nature and others express emotions that are experienced daily. She told Flair her favourite poem in the anthology is, 'Why does it rain?'
"It was a moment of sadness and I wondered why things happen in a certain way or at the same time? Her second book, titled Life Thorns and Roses, is about memories of the past and her observation of life in poetry form. She is currently working on her self-esteem book, Bundle of Beauty. This, she said, is designed for adolescents.
"As a teacher, I realise there is a grave problem. Teenagers don't believe in themselves and appreciate themselves for who they are."
ALWAYS ALONE
Most of her life she was alone. "I had to face things on my own so if I'm hurt, instead of retaliating I'd just write as my way of getting rid of anger and showing appreciation. I cleanse myself through writing."
Drama teacher, Donna Harriott, takes part in a class at St. Hugh's High School for Girls. - PHOTOS BY RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
