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River by Verneice Turner

i pray to always be
like a well cared for river

going where i am to go
doing what i am to do
being who i am to be
sharing what i am to share

flooding when it is time to flood
receding
when it is time to release new
soil upon the ground
from which new wonderful
things dreams can grow

never destroying

only replenishing the banks
with the love
that continuously brings
forth new wonderful
things dreams to life

continuously being
groomed, dredged,
enriched, deepened
cleansed, replenished

by all

that is
holy
divine

true

About the Poet

Verneice Turner

Verneice Turner is a poet, writer, performance artist, and an Artie award-winning actor. She studied drama under June L. Saunders-Duel at the African American Cultural Center, then studied performing arts at SUNY at Buffalo. She has worked with directors Saul Elkin, Richard Gant, Lorna C. Hill, among others.

Verneice is also a singer, dancer, and the former reading and performance series host at the Screening Room in Amherst, NY. She ran the art space Buffalo East from 2009-13.

She has performed in various venues in Buffalo, New York City (off Broadway & off off Broadway), Washington, D.C, Philadelphia, Toronto, and other cities In 2008, Verneice won an Artie Award for outstanding supporting actress in Studio Arena and Road Less Traveled’s production of To Kill A Mockingbird. She was also nominated for best spoken word artist in Artvoice‘s 2008 Best of Buffalo awards.

Related Event

  • Verneice Turner will join poet Perry Nicholas as co-hosts of VARIATIONS OF LOVE, an International Open Poetry Reading from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 15th at Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo, 2351 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY. Admission is
    $5.00 for non-members. Free for members.

The Poem of the Week feature is curated by literary legacy awardee R.D. Pohl.