Seasons of Life: A Conversation with poet Cheryl Metts

In this episode of the John 316 Bookstore Podcast, we delve into the inspiring journey of Cheryl Metts, a poet, cancer survivor, and a testament to the power of faith and resilience. Sheryl's poetry collection, *Seasons, Poetry in Motion*, reflects her life's ups and downs, demonstrating how every season carries its own lessons and blessings. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the John 316 Bookstore Podcast, the show where faith meets the written word, and every story points back to the grace of God. I'm your host, Mark Cornegay, and I'm so glad you chose to spend this time with us today, because this episode is truly a special one. Our guest today is a poet, a mother, a grandmother, a cancer survivor, and a woman whose faith has carried her through seasons of life that most of us can only imagine. She grew up in the heart of Washington, D.C., was raised in the church, and learned early on that the love of God is truly the key to life. That foundation never left her, and you can feel it on every single page of her work. Today I'm sitting down with author of Seasons, Poetry in Motion, a collection of poems that will make you cry, make you smile, maybe even make you chuckle, but most importantly, remind you that you are not perfect, you are only human, and that is more than enough. Nine years cancer free, still writing, still believing, and still showing up for every season God places her in. Please welcome to the John 316 Bookstore Podcast, Miss Cheryl Met.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Hello, everyone.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Cheryl, first, let's start here. You were raised in Washington, D.C. and now live in Maryland. How did growing up in the nation's capital shape who you are and ultimately the poet you became?

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Well, back then, uh poetry was nowhere in my mind. Um it was just friendships, having fun, the environment, and going to church. Because church was every Sunday.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

And what church did you grow up at?

SPEAKER_02 1:56

I grew up in Trinidad Baptist Church. We were located on um Denny Road. Okay. Northeast.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Very familiar, very familiar with that church. You're the oldest of a blended family. What did that role teach you about responsibility, love, and navigating complicated dynamics? And do those lessons show up in your poetry?

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Well, I would say that it taught togetherness, regardless to who the parent is, you still have that love. You still have that protection. And with all of us, I didn't have to worry about looking for friends because I already had them.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Amen. Awesome. You were raised in the church. How did your faith from your identity as a child and how does it continue to anchor your writing today?

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Well, I spent a lot of time with my grandfather, the late Reverend Daniel L. Jackson of, of course, Trinidad Baptist Church, and his fellow pastor friends. So I learned a lot through them, and I was really shy. So I just stuck with him. And through my learnings over the years, the years as I grew up and went through the adolescence stages and such, I learned that God was in everything. And I had a fear because it seemed like every time my grandfather would get up to preach, anything I thought about trying or doing, he was preaching about it. So I was like, oh no, can't do that. So I that's how it really evolved. And through that, um, when I be when I got into writing poetry, it was reflective.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Awesome, awesome, awesome. You're a nine-year cancer survivor. Can you take us back to the moment of diagnosis? What was going through your mind and how did poetry factor into your healing?

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Well, for one thing, I didn't get fearful until I actually heard the diagnosis. And prayer came everywhere. That's all I knew to pray. And um uh from there looking back at that, and when I did write the poetry book, I reflected on some of that, the pain I had of going through it. And when I really got into prayer about it, um, it was like, God's got this, so what do I have to worry about? Amen. Amen. So that's about all I can say about it.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Amen. I want to invite everybody out to come out and purchase Cheryl's book. It is on sale here, Seasons, Poetry, Emotion. This is the cover here. It is available at John 316 Christian Bookstore. If you don't know where we're located, we're located at 10498 Campus Way South in Upper Marlboro, Largo, Maryland. We're physically right next door to the Target in Largo. So if you're in the area, please come by and purchase your copy of the book. Cheryl, your book says everything is a choice. Was choosing a positive mindset during your cancer battle a conscious decision, or did you or did it come to you gradually?

SPEAKER_02 5:52

I would say gradually because I had to con I had to realize what I was going through. And when you go to an infusion clinic, I'll call it, and you see so many people in there going through what you're going through, and you realize that yours isn't even as bad as the other people. And my heart wanted to reach out to them, but they were in their, they were dealing with their situation, their way. So all I could do is pray about it and for them.

unknown 6:33

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

You say some poems will make readers cry, some will make them smile, and some might even make them chuckle. Was that emotional range intentional from the start, or did it emerge naturally as you wrote your book?

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Let's see. Uh maybe that came naturally as I wrote that book. Because I reflected on the things that I had gone through, my friends had gone through, uh, my family had gone through, and I just composed it all in the book. That's why I see, well, I must say here at this point, uh, my daughter came up with the name Seasons. And um I thought it was a good title because we go through seasons of ups and downs, turnarounds. Some people succeed and some people don't. But in the book, unless you know their faith, you have to have the faith and you have to trust and believe in God that it is gonna be a turnaround, that it's gonna be a turnaround for the good.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Amen. Amen. The book's description says it should make readers wonder, think, and persevere. What does perseverance look like in everyday life to you, and which poem in the book captures that best?

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Well, I would say peace. Peace captures it for me. Um perseverance to me is going through the struggles, not knowing whether or not the rent's gonna get paid, how it's gonna get paid. Uh, and all the other little struggles that we go through in everyday life, having doubt, um, and not really taking it, some not really taking it that next step because of fear. And fear will stop you in your tracks every time. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Wow, well said, well said. You remind readers that they are not perfect, only human. Why was that message so important for you to deliver?

SPEAKER_02 9:04

Because God made everybody uniquely and wonderfully. There's not no two persons alike. Maybe they have some features alike, and maybe they don't. Maybe they play ball like somebody else plays ball, maybe they don't. Um you're you put too much stress on yourself when it's not necessary. Because we're all God's children.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

So that's more or less what it was.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

Awesome. This is your second publication. How did this book differ from your first in process, your confidence, or and even your message?

SPEAKER_02 9:47

Oh my gosh. I must say that first book was just about all God written. Uh I had a minister at my former church tell me that God's gonna speak to you when you start writing. You have to pay attention. And I was like, huh? He's gonna speak to me in my sleep. She said, Yes. You know, I'm saying, mm-hmm. I haven't started writing, so I don't know. And true enough, 2 30, 3 30. One time it lasted three hours. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

So that first book is my baby.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

That's my baby. Awesome. Your quote says, through faith and belief, anything is possible. Can you share a personal moment where you had to hold on to that belief when everything felt impossible?

SPEAKER_02 10:47

The one thing I could say was the death of my mother. And then what let me back that up. It was the first one was my grandmother. And she was the patriarch of the family. That was unbelievable. But when my mom passed, what do I do? That's my best friend. That's my hero. What do I do? Who do I turn to? But God had somebody in the gap. And her name is Elizabeth Williams myself. Amen. And she picked up as much as she could to let as she can, she still does, to let me know that I was not alone. But I knew God had me. But you know, we have that physical being we like to see. Yeah. And when that physical being leaves, and you can't say, can I, will I, should I? That's a whole new story.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Yes, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

And you have to trust and believe that you're gonna get through.

unknown 11:59

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Amen. Your poetry revolves around everyday life and situations. Do you find inspiration in the ordinary, or does something have to move you deeply before a poem is born?

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Oh, I just talked about that over the weekend. Um I've written some short stories that have not been published yet. And each one evolves in within the situation as it's happening. And I write. From the train ride. Wow. Now just to sit to write something, hmm, it may happen, it may not happen. But if I'm in the environment of things going on, things happening, people reacting, that's when it starts.

unknown 13:01

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

And that's interesting. I've heard uh different authors um reference their techniques and when they write. And uh, you're one of the first to mention that um the setting will dictate the writing. And I think that's very interesting and encouraging to some others that may not write on a schedule. Right. So, yes. As a mother and grandmother, how do you hope your children and grandchildren receive your work now and years from now?

SPEAKER_02 13:30

My mom did it. Um, she drove us crazy, but she got through it, and that they're proud because they are. They are proud. They're protective, they're loving, and they're proud of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Now we have writers that view our podcast as well. What would you say to someone who has stories and emotions bottled up inside, but doesn't think they're a real writer?

SPEAKER_02 14:06

First, I'm gonna say, you are enough. You are enough. Doubt will stop you, fear will crush you. You have to take that first step. If you don't take that first step, you will never know how good you are or how far you can go.

unknown 14:28

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Sure, for those readers that are gonna come pick up the book, Seasons, Poetry and Motion, during their hardest seasons of their life, what would you most want them to walk away with feeling?

SPEAKER_02 14:43

That they have something that they can find their selves in. Or something's in there that will let them know if they are going through something right now that they can get through it. That's what I want them to know because they are human, you know, but they're a gift from God. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Cheryl, what's next? Do you have a third book coming?

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Speaking of such, I have points that are already completed and need proofing, and then they're off. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Well, we look forward to.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

So when you when you proof your books, how do you pay somebody to do that? Do you have a uh do you do it yourself? Do you have a family friend? How does that work?

SPEAKER_02 15:39

Okay, I self-publish. Okay, but what I'm thinking of doing now is getting a publisher to actually publish it for me this time. To go through the editing and the proofreading and all that they do and um take it from there. There'll be something different. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

Amen. Amen. I want to personally thank Ms. Cheryl Metz for opening up and sharing her heart with us today. What a blessing this conversation has been. If this episode has been a blessing to you, we want you to come out to John 316 Christian Bookstore and purchase your copy of her book, Seasons, Poetry in Motion. It will be on sale here at John 316 Christian Bookstore. And now a word from our sponsor, the Christian Author Book Launch and Marketing System. You wrote the book that God put on your heart. Don't let it sit in the box in the garage. Most Christian authors freeze when it's time to launch. They say marketing feels worldly or they feel self-promotion feels prideful. So the message that was meant to change lives reaches almost no one. The Christian author book launch and marketing system is a faith-based roadmap that walks you through building a launch team for your church and community, positioning your book on Amazon so that the right reader finds it, writing emails and social posts to feel honest, not selsy, turning one book into a lasting ministry platform. No gimmicks, no worldly tactics, just kingdom first strategy. Go to markcornegay.com for more information or click the link below. Peace. Also, this episode of the John 316 Bookstore Podcast is sponsored by John316Bookstore.com. Be sure to shop John 316 Christian Bookstore for all your Christian needs. We carry a wide selection of books, Bibles, and Christian gifts. Shop online anytime at John316Bookstore.com. That's John 316Bookstore.com. If this episode blessed you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. You can always leave us a review and subscribe wherever you listen to our podcast. I'm your host, Mark Cornegay, thanking you for listening and being a part of our community. Until next time, keep reading, stay encouraged, and remember there's always more to the story when God is the author. Peace.