Life in the Unknown: Let the Free Thinkers Speak

By Betram A. Burrell

About the Book
The book is titled: Life in the Unknown, and sub-titled; Let the free thinkers speak. The title is taken from one of my favorite poems in the book; it should be an interesting read. This title wasnt the initial plan however, but it should call for interesting conversation in book signing. A part from the being a poetry book, there is no one classification or category that can be placed on the materials, which might come across as; controversial, edgy, insensitive, polarizing, funny, gritty, but yet it should come across as honest, and possibly witty.
This book is aimed at challenging life and its imperfection, since we ourselves are imperfect, then judgment is therefore minimal; one to another respectively.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491809105

Betram A. Burrell

Bertram Burrell is a new author that has come alive with an innovative form of poetry writing, his aim is to test the boundaries, be controversial, while keeping his work honest, and this is his way of giving the (free thinkers) a voice. Bertram Burrell was born and raised in Kingston Jamaica, now living in America for the past 11-years. While attending the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), he was asked to do a research on a famous poet, wanting to stay true to his roots; he researched a poet that was born and raised in Jamaica, but then migrated to America in the early 1900’s and like the famous Langston Hughes; was a part of the Harlem Renaissance. This famous author; Claude McKay, struggled getting his start as a poet, but eventually found fame with his poetry “If we must Die”. After reading Claude McKay’s “If we must Die”, Bertram was inspired to write his first piece titled “Empower Me”, which he recited in class, and was asked a few times to recite it at special events. After writing a few poems that year he was then encouraged to maybe consider publishing. He eventually send some of his work to a local publishing company; whom turned his work down (paraphrasing) that it was too politically insensitive. This discouraged him for a few years, as he thought his work wasn’t good enough for the public, but overtime found strength in the naysayers, and kept pushing the boundaries while using life to tell his tale through poetry.

Book preview

© 2013 Bertram A. Burrell. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/28/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-0911-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-0912-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-0910-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013914703

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Am I my brother’s keeper?

Karma

Summertime high

The coldest of winters

To the Aristocrat

As darkness unfolds

Purple velvet

Life in the unknown

I’m a fool

The pass around

Empower me

Love in Destiny

The eclipse

Turning tables

Where I lay my head

The irony of love

Stand your grounds

Who I am

The wise

Wise and fall

So I shine

Who’s in control?

Prayer: Success vs. Happiness

My faith in HIM

Kasablanc

Evil advocate

Misfortune

Lament

Grown folks time

A butterfly’s Demise

Beat

Galactic contact

True confessions

The burning bush

Simply beautiful

Land of time

Dumbfounded

Africa, the stolen legacy

Broken glasses

For just one night

Eve’s Garden

Crazy

Bio-poem

This is my world

Slavery Evolution

Diaspara

Because you are; lady

A time away from time

A mother’s own

A prayer of Repentance

AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

Who am I to trust you, who are you for me to trust, who am I for you to trust, putting your pride aside, and sharing your burdens with me, my philosophy is that every man carry his own burden, every man stands alone, it’s a cold world out there, and no, I really cannot share, we tend to fend for ourselves bitterly in the mean streets of our worlds, not considering the other man, or the other man’s own, we used to be family, only but a short time ago, whistling and wondering like tall grasses grow, but now we look at each other as obstacle, preventing each other’s flow, am I my brother’s keeper, that I should find a heart, divert from being me, just to give you a start, am I my brother’s keeper, that I’ll share with