Arts

THE STUFF OF DREAMS From East Cleveland to a national poetry fellowship: Cuyahoga County poet laureate Honey Bell-Bey is getting her due

By Tyisha Blade

CUYAHOGA COUNTY POET

laureate Honey Bell-Bey recently received an award from the Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships.

The prizes, $50,000 to $100,000 in range, are unrestricted awards given to commend poets appointed to serve in civic positions.

Receiving the nod was a major moment for Bell-Bey, who didn’t think she had a shot.

She was in her doctor’s office when she received the news. Patients were being issued masks for COVID-19. She leaned against the wall, and, out of concern, a nurse asked her was she OK. Overhearing the conversation, another nurse exclaimed, “Oh, she’s alright! Based on what I just heard!”

“Here you have this little girl from East Cleveland, Ohio in these broken circumstances who has always looked to Nicky Giovanni and Maya Angelo,” she said. “The reality was that any title bestowed upon them could be bestowed upon me. It was beyond what this little girl dreamed of.”

She also recalls being in disbelief when, while distributing items at a local food bank, she saw her picture in a New York Times article featuring the winners.

“It was like God was saying, ‘I got you,’” she said. “When you are busy doing the work of God, then He will come in and bless [the work].”

Reading works such as Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise, Bell-Bey hopes that the legacy she leaves is found by another little girl that “finds a way for her feet to fit in those shoes.”

The East Cleveland native says that she’s been a poet her entire life, and that, as an educator of poetry, she strives to bring the passion of poetry and language arts to young people and women.

“I’ve always used the power of words to transform emotional trauma and put [ourselves] into the driver’s seat of [our] lives instead of staying in the position of the victim,” she said. “It just so happened that I would use poetry to do that. It’s intentional work. Like an emotional gangrene. It will eat you alive.”

She recalls spending a number of years in pain and relates to being a Black woman in the silent suffering. “We are unintentionally taught to be strong,” she said. “You don’t let people see you cry or break, and that manifests inwardly. People see it though, in our relationships and who we are physically and emotionally.”

She also recalls being told that Cleveland would not have a poet laureate, then gracefully receiving title for the entire county. After her appointment as lareate, just one year later, she received the The Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships award.

The money is nice, but that’s not the part that most satisfies her.

“I sincerely appreciate the financial incentive to further my work, but the thing is that I have been doing this my entire life with no money,” she said. “Yes, I have never been dictated by money, but the title, that was due me.”

Working through the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t changed Bell-Bey’s results. “What are you doing right

The Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships, Bell-Bey plans to initiative several projects. For instance, she wants to aid writers that are not financially able to publish their work. “They don’t know the tools to use, they don’t know the editing process,” she said. “I am going to walk them through that.” Once individuals complete her virtual sessions, she would like to aid in paying for publishing. She is adamant in pushing the power that helps people tell their stories. She also plans to utilize P.O.E.T. (Power Over Emotional Trauma) to help women travail over their experiences. She would employ healing workshops with poetry being its foundation. “I really want Photo Courtesy Honey Bell-Bey that run deep,” she said. “It’s that stuff that you don’t talk about, but it’s still there. Everyone of us has power over that thing that tried to make us powerless.” Biking is a passion of Bell-Bey’s and also intends to buy all of her students good-quality mountain bikes. As an Ohio Certified Prevention message in her work, nor has it Specialist, Bell-Bey will continue deterred her from her mission. her work with chemical dependency “When the schools closed, I opened prevention. She works with a virtual academy the next day,” she the Cleveland Urban Minority said. “I wasn’t playing. I was ready.” Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach She continues to reach young people Program to provide services that with her virtual classes where she promote health and drug free teaches using puppetry, poetry, life living among the African American skills, cooking ,painting, reading citizens. She will also utilize the and writing to engage the students. program’s facility, located on 79th

One of her lead students, Caillou street, for her recently opened Allen, will be attending Morehouse food pantry. Every Wednesday at College in the fall. Motivated 11 a.m., she and her team provide by Bell-Bey’s teachings and his fresh produce and meat from Dave’s, upbringing, Allen wants to give back Heinens and Giant Eagle for the to his people. He loves to read and community. keeps constant dialogue with her Bell-Bey feels that her life, in the on several topics “The knowledge current moment, is ‘the tale of two that when I grow up, I will be able cities.’ “It’s the best of times and the to reach back and help my Black worst of times,” she said. While she people, that inspires me,” he said. is thrilled to continue her work she

Bell-Bey shares the feeling. As a relates to the pain that many people revolutionary, she believes in using are facing through this pandemic. the power and energy used in the “When you are mission-driven, you generations before her to produce never stop serving.” to help women with these still waters now?” she questioned. “What are we doing with our power?” With the award received from @clevelandscene scene@clevescene.com | clevescene.com | July 1-7, 2020 19