“A picture is forever and I’ve got to be on top of my game, so let’s schedule another date to have my pictures taken.” And with that statement, I knew that my only option was to concede that another day would have to do. T. Latrese Prince certainly knows that going from the hood to the hills is not as impossible as most people would believe.  Feeling our way through what seemed like an eternity of formalities and initial apprehensions, we quickly became enmeshed in the heart of our meeting, laughing and sharing stories as though we were lifelong friends (in which she says she only has one best friend, and one close friend).

It was on the early evening of Friday, October 2^nd when we met outside of a new diner in the Springfield area of town. I had just left an exhausting day at the office and the bus ride into town was spent going over my interview questions. Admittedly, I didn’t quite know what to expect since Trese (the name that she’s been called by her family since infancy because most people could never remember how to pronounce her first name) and I had only spoken briefly by telephone twice. The first of which was to establish what it was she’d like to be said of her on the article and the second to get directions to make sure she was at the right place.

Trese was born in Birmingham, Al, where she spent her elementary school years but she pretty much grew up in Detroit  until she moved back to Jacksonville, Fl with her children at the age of 27. She is now happily engaged and enjoying life. From the things she shared with me over the course of the interview, it was during her upbringing in Detroit that she endured the majority of the toughest and the best times of her life. But it is evident that these times have groomed her to become the woman that she is today.

Among the things that she finds most interesting, keeping up with society and keeping up with what’s going on in and around the world sit favorably at the top of her list. This probably explains why her hobbies are as exciting as they are varied.  They include playing tennis, shooting pool, jet skiing, horseback riding and being near the water hearing the sound of the ocean waves. And like me, she loves her soft rock music, along with a large variety of different types of music. Just thinking about that has me chuckling lightly to myself. I moved on to ask this engaged mother of two (a son, Antoine and daughter, Zikoya) what was her motivation to publish her book of poetry and she simply stated that it was a personal goal. She wasn’t looking to get rich or famous. There are about 5 copies that she sent out to different “renowned persons,” and the only one to respond was Dr. Maya Angelou; thanking Trese for her copy. WOW!

“Poetic Pages,” is a compilation of poems that she had written over the years and kept in a shoe box. Some of the poems, she shared, had been lost during her many moves, but the ones she kept are the ones used in her book.  When I began reading them, I could feel the reality and experience of her life both good and bad. “I wanted something to leave as a legacy for my lineage.” Of the different poems in the book, “Fantasy” quickly became one of my favorites.

A college graduate, Trese received her Master’s of Science Degree in Human Services with a specialization in Counseling; she has her eyes set on central or south Florida within the next 3-4 years to pursue a PhD in Psychology.  “I love to get into people’s heads. I kind of feel like I’ve been a counselor all my life; I mean, my friends came to me for advice all the time.”  She credits the autobiography of Malcolm X as the thing that changed her life.  “I read it twice and then got a copy of the movie. I saw so many similarities between his struggle and my life,” she shared. An avid fan of documentaries and reading, this modern day poet laureate is sure to rise to the ranks of those who’ve gone before her; Langston Hughes, Michael Eric Dyson and Dr. Angelou. As we ended our conversation, she said, “Wait, I want to give you a copy of my book. I think I have one in the car.” She graciously handed me a signed copy and as she handed it to me she said, “…I really want you to have this, you’re a pretty deep brother.”  SHAM-WOW!

Visit www.amazon.com and pick up your copy of “Poetic Pages.”