The World of Undiscovered Poets: G-Roc the General
The power of poetry, to transform a person is nothing short of a miracle. When a person is able to unleash all his pent up negative emotions onto a page, and give himself an outlet, all that pain, anger, and negativity stop being destructive forces, and start becoming creative energy. Poetry has saved many lives, and changed people for the better. The undiscovered poet I am about to introduce to you has gone from a life of violence, to the life of a loving father, a mentor, and a creator. I would like to introduce you to:
G-Roc the General
The South Bronx is notorious for drugs, violence, and gangs, and for a child to grow up with all these negative influences in his life, it’s no wonder why G-Roc turned to the gang lifestyle. He admits that when he chose this lifestyle, it wasn’t because he came from a home without love. It was because the taste of power he got from being feared was alluring at the time.
In 1997, G-Roc was inspired by the movie Love Jones. The way the characters spoke their poetry freely and touched the hearts of others, instilled in him the desire to stop putting fear into the hearts of men, and fill their heart with love and poetry instead. This was the beginning of G-Rocs transformation.
Fatherhood and maturity taught G-Roc two very important things about himself. First that he wanted to live long enough to see his children grow up, and second, that he did not want his children to choose the same path of life that he chose for himself. Becoming the father of 7 children was the completion of G-Rocs transformation, and he became the man he is today.
Some of the biggest influences of G-Rocs poetry are Filberto Ojeda Rios (a soldier in the ongoing fight for the independence of Puerto Rico who was killed when FBI agents attempted to arrest him at his home in Puerto Rico), and Rev. Pedro Pitri (a famous poet and founder of the Nuyorican Poet’s Café). G-Rocs style of poetry encompasses the struggles he has faced during his life, and the hope he has for his future and the future of his kids. The following poem is just one of many, G-Roc has written, and will give you a clear picture of how deep this amazing poet is.
Survivor
Traveling down the battle field of
life as an unarmed soldier fighting
a war that only god can help you
win.
Feeling the changes that your body
has to endure not understanding
what have you done so bad to have
to carry this cross on your own.
At times feeling as if you need
to separate yourself from the
happiness that the world can bring
because you do not want to feel
like a burden on the shoulders
of everyone who wants to be a part
of your world
your smile can light the earth
your tears can drown the life
out of someone willing to love
you
hold your hand and cross the bridge
of where you need to be
A true friend
will walk with you through
fire; carry you when your legs give
out feed you if you’re hungry and cry
with you so you never feel lonely
life is only a school of lessons
needed to be learned advancing you
to the future of who you have been
chosen to be
seeing through the eyes of spirituality
on the road of humility conquer your
demons accepting your faults and saying
I know who I am
and not giving up by any means
fighting the good fight armed with your faith in
one hand and your pride in the other
repeating
with your inner voice, I will win, I shall be victorious
for My God is guiding me, I am no longer a unarmed
Soldier, but a self-proclaimed Warrior of my own fate.....
I am a Survivor of Cancer
I wrote this piece for my mom
who won her battle with Breast cancer!!!!!!
G-Roc has made many contributions to the world of poetry. He is one of the founders of Blood Money Poets. He has produced background music for many up and coming spoken word poets. He is the host of a Blog Talk Radio show called Poetic Streetz, and he has been a great mentor to me and other people who have just begun to discover the world of poetry.
G-Roc has many projects planned for the future, including the completion of his first book, and the creation of two compilation albums of his poetry. If you would like to learn more about G-Roc the General, please visit the following links:
