Obra Maestra - Today's Brilliant Contemporary and Modern Artist for Literature: Sir William S Peters Sr

I'm very excited to introduce to all of you, one of our generation's brilliant literary figures , my dearest friend and colleague, the one and only Sir William S Peters.

William S. Peters, Sr., whom we all affectionately call "just bill," has been a passionate poet since 1966. Bill has been dedicated to the written word, believing deeply in its power to inspire and uplift humanity. His spiritual essence shines through in his socially conscientious actions, always striving to ease his personal angst while making the world a better place.

Bill often describes life as a garden, emphasizing the importance of the seeds we sow and nourish. This philosophy is beautifully evident in his extensive body of work, which includes poetry collections, essays, and prose aimed at building bridges of cultural understanding and promoting humanitarian consciousness. His works, such as *World Healing, World Peace* and *The Vine Keeper*, showcase his unwavering commitment to love, peace, and understanding.

Bill's journey hasn't been without its share of challenges. The loss of his beloved wife, Virisa, in 2006, was a profound blow, but he channeled his grief into his writing, exploring themes of love, light, darkness, despair, and understanding. His poetry resonates deeply with readers around the world, touching hearts and minds.

As a proud single father of 11 children and 7 grandchildren, Bill's life is a testament to resilience and dedication. Over the years, he has taken on various roles, including public speaker, empowerment workshop leader, consultant, radio personality, and spoken word artist. His contributions extend far beyond writing; he actively supports and inspires other writers and poets through his work with Inner Child Enterprises and Inner Child Press.

Bill has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 2016, 2019, and 2025, a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication to the arts. His vision for a more harmonious world continues to inspire and uplift everyone around him. It's an honor to call Bill a friend and to share his incredible story and contributions to literature and humanity.

His obra maestra is a poem entitled "I Am He" which he crafted in 2012. It is his favorite poem and has personal meaning.

“I Am He’ is a poem written around my birthday in 2012. This poem is my favorite, for it emotes a personal conscious awakening. Having been raised in a Christian household up until adulthood, you will notice a lot of biblical reference. I hope that the reader can find some meaning in this offering - Sir William S Peters Sr 

i am he

there it stood

like a tower of light

piercing the sky

of the horizon

enjoining imaginary heavens

to this place upon which our feet

are planted

fable and folklore

spoke of this place

a garden few have seen

from which the seed of man

had been spawned

and within

was that mythological tree

which unveiled the eye

of First Father

that He should know

of what nakedness is

David danced in the street

for he felt the unabashed joy

when kissed

by the sound of Timbrels

the music of his heart

that which is divine

Job bore

the burden of reproof

for he knew

of the sweeter fruits

that which has never been seen

nor tasted

Solomon’s etheric ecstasy

his glistening wisdom

knew not of limit

and he wed himself

and consummated such union

in the inner chambers of self

his beloved

my brother Isaiah

spoke of the gates

the gates of praise

that shone

calling forth the children

to embark on the path

the journey back to the garden

back home

where there is light consciousness

he said

arise, arise

and my hallelujah

stood and spread it’s wings

embracing never dreamed of possibilities

my inner eye beholds that Tree yonder

how i long to put my arms

around it’s girth

and let the gentle breeze

of brother wind

whisper to me through it’s leaves

let me hear again

the sweet promise

that of the fruit we shall eat

at journey’s end

St. Issa was nailed to that Tree

i but wish to climb its limbs

and lay my burdens

upon its bough

and be its rock-a-bye baby

i hear the call of the rushing waters

that of Mother’s Life Blood

where the Four sacred rivers converge

let us immerse our selves

in the cleansing waters

so . . .

i packed my bags

with emptiness

devoid of all worldly things

for the world has lost it’s import

and there was a bequestering for the quest

Soul was beckoning me

to that reckoning of me

unto the path . . . back

back to where myth

becomes reality . . .

back to that Garden

my heart began to ardently beat

with forgotten rhythmic excitement

filled with an anticipatory syncopation

and joys replete

the resonant harmonies of ecstasy

loomed in the air about me

and thus became my every breath

and i became life’s melody

the palpitations of my heart

consumed me

completely

penetrating the womb of my very existence

like a young Virgin who looks upon

the face of her eternal lover

for the first time

take me my soul screams

unto it’s self

open the door

open the gate

to that arduous pathway

unto my absolution

that my final traipse

may begin

i turn my face away

from my destination

and begin to walk backwards

that i may revisit times past

old wounds

errant shifts

to arrive at the place

of my spawning

the dawning

a regressive awakening

forsaking substance

i see the collective episodes

of the years endured

begin to fall away

and the enveloping warmth

of the Sun replete

begins to rapture me

as i allow the letting

of this illusory identity

of how i once defined my self

i now begin to intake

and absorb

the verdant scents

of my holy inner garden

enticing me

as i am reverently approaching

my own presence

my essence

my consummate self

i am barefooted

and my toes become entwined

in the damp soils

of what i thought to be

a forgotten consciousness

a lost knowing

and i begin to glow

i hear sounds about me

within me

attuning it’s self in concordance

dancing in my heart

playing a tune called bliss

and i know

i have been kissed

by the regality

of that which is sovereign

over all that exists

my loins become incensed

with a primal urging

a needing

to undress

and to express

and my innocent nakedness

stands before the world

my passions begin to unfurl

fulfill themselves

with an incalculable esoteric copulation

and my reason becomes orgasmic

and loses its tethers

to the finite memories

of what i once accepted

and defended

as life

i am reflecting my own creational exponential-ness

tears begin to flow

down my cheeks

from my 3rd eye

blinding me

with rivulets of joy

which become streams

which become rivers

before they touch my feet

which now stands

in the Ocean of life

Time freezes

Time ceases

and i am appeased

for now i please myself

for in reflective grandeur

i realize

i am who i have always been

upon the surface of these pristine waters

i look upon my countenance

the glass is no longer darkly

and i thus see

a contextual reflection of me

of self

of God

of Creation

and there is but

one Solitary Tower of Light

which enjoins Heaven and Earth

and i am He

© April 2012 : William S. Peters, Sr.

www.iamjustbill.