Next Man Up, Poetry in Motion

Announcer 0:00
This is a KUNV Studios original program. The

Wesley Knight 0:04
content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Donavan LeDean 0:15
Here we go! Here we go! Move it! Move it! Move it!

Donavan LeDean 0:20
Yeah. Beautiful.

Donavan LeDean 0:23
Next man up.

Donavan LeDean 0:27
Dave. Let's go.

Donavan LeDean 0:41
Hello and welcome to the show. I am your host, Donovan Ledeen, actor, author, and inspirational rhythmic poet. Get out to the ends and expand up poetry in motion, where the mission is to promote good mental health for everyone. This poetry show will motivate, educate, and inspire you with spoken word through cultural expression. We have a special guest in the building, Julian Blackman, better known as the Protected Poet, who is an award-winning five-time Grand Slam champion, national and international touring poet, host, entrepreneur, actor, two-time published author, and R.I.A.A. Gold certified recording artist, protected poet. My brother, thank you for being here.

Protected Poet 1:26
Thank you for having me, man. Beautiful, beautiful introduction. I'm so grateful for that.

Donavan LeDean 1:31
Already, since July of 2025, you have endlessly been on the road performing across the U.S. and internationally, in the Bahamas, you've gained national recognition performing at the Bigfoot Festival in Portland, Oregon, and at the historic Modesto State Theater in front of a large crowd of more than 600.

Protected Poet 1:55
Yes. Overall, how has this road trip experience been for you? Again, it's it's it's been a blessing. It's been a blessing. I know we we talked off air, and I was telling you that it's a blessing. So to the people, yes, it's a blessing. It's a true blessing. I'm able to travel and and heal with others. We heal together. They may feel something that I've said, and you know now they're inspired, and so it's been-it's been a blessing. It's been a blessing, man, to inspire and to help heal.

Donavan LeDean 2:26
Well, you said the key word, and that's what I love about you. Your main focus is the people. You got to focus on the likes, you know, things of that nature, the views, the followings, and things of that nature. You focus on the people, healing, inspiration. So that's phenomenal. Absolutely, you're a dual threat. Not only do you tell stories expressively through poetry, but you also do it as an actor. Yes, you're currently acting in the 2026 musical theater stage play called "Back in the Day, alongside Kim Flowers and Eugene Parker, who plays the recurring character mr. Keys on the hit BT series Tyler Perry's Sisters.

Protected Poet 3:08
That's true.

Donavan LeDean 3:08
How did this opportunity come about?

Protected Poet 3:11
Wow, man! You know, talk about it. Let's talk about it, man. Again, I was I was touring. I met a beautiful lady in Las Vegas that took took my interest in moving in moving to Las Vegas.

Donavan LeDean 3:27
Okay,

Protected Poet 3:27
you know, and it was all about just her and I moving to Las Vegas. And of course, I do poetry. I have a career, but acting was never on my radar. Never on my radar, man. And so moving into Vegas, a guy by the name of Haru, the Falcon Haru. He has sent me a text message, told me he want me to be at this address. I'm gonna speed it up, and so I got to that address. And when I'm at this address, I don't know what I'm there for, and I'm just there, and he's not there, and I see Eugene, I see all these actors and actresses at this table. They got me sitting at, and I'm like, I don't know these people? They don't know me. Haru comes in. Eugene ended up passing out scripts. She passed me a script. I still don't know what this is about. It's

Donavan LeDean 4:10
funny how like you cannot make

Protected Poet 4:12
this up, brother. Follow me on this. I'm gonna be. I'll try to be quick, but this is it's necessary. Talk about it's necessary, man. Because when Haru arrived, and I and I learned then what I was what I'm what I'm here for, I got off that table. Gotcha. I stood off that table and I went to Haru. I said, "Man, what do you? Why you got me here? I don't belong here. This ain't for me, right? Haru looked me in my eyes. "I said, if you don't get up off this chair and get your butt back to that table, right? So I talked about what? Yeah, I just got up with an attitude and walked back to the table. Yeah, introduced myself. Fast forward, they passed out the scripts. I didn't even read that day, but they called me back because I did a poem that day. Gotcha. So they called me back, was looking for me because I purposely didn't leave my information. Right, and they had this. They were trying to find me. They end up finding me two weeks later, having me come down to read. Then I did read, and I got the part.

Donavan LeDean 5:08
Yeah,

Protected Poet 5:09
you know, and from there, you know, it's history. Well, I

Donavan LeDean 5:12
just want to say congratulations. Thank you so much, brother. Definitely. You had performed at a venue, and before you had got on stage, a host had provided a proper introduction for you, giving you your flowers, acknowledging the authenticity in your poetry, using poetry to genuinely inspire, like you mentioned, and not for clout.

Protected Poet 5:36
Right, right.

Donavan LeDean 5:37
In today's era, you know, I've witnessed within the poetry community. You have your highs, many highs, but you have some lows as well. Something, some things that we need to address within our community. You know, within the poetry community is a high level of competitiveness, yet separatism, right?

Protected Poet 5:57
Right.

Donavan LeDean 5:57
Diluting the actual purpose of poetry, which is creating peace, building solidarity, bringing clarity and awareness for direction for the people. What have you personally observed in the poetry community right now that you feel we should change in order to promote unity and authenticity when writing or performing poetry, or should we change anything at

Protected Poet 6:23
all? Great question. I do think that we can. I don't want to say change. What I would say, what I've experienced, I'll speak for Vegas. Let's speak for Las Vegas. Las Vegas has a lot of different poetry platforms, right? It's grateful for me that I'm like outside looking in, because I'm not with no exclusive platform outside of poetic gyms. Like I rock with them. I rock with all the platforms, but I notice that all the platforms are doing their own thing in a way, right? And I will say that the poets that come from these different platforms, I've seen them, you know, go to different other platforms and perform, you know, support, but I think I haven't seen the fans, like the supporters for that's not poets, right? I haven't seen the fans that enjoy poetry. They stick. I've seen them stick to that one platform. You know, I don't want to like name drop anything, but let's just you know they're going to one platform. You know, and won't. But I won't see them there. But I see a poet from that platform there, so if we can get to where we can cross promote, you know, to where the fans can learn about all the other platforms of poetry that's in Las Vegas. This not it's not just this one platform that you can consistently going to and supporting. There's other platforms that you could also go to enjoy poetry.

Donavan LeDean 7:41
Well, you may miss out on messages, you know, that you may need to hear for direction,

Protected Poet 7:46
right?

Donavan LeDean 7:46
You know what I'm saying. If you don't go and cross over into other territories, right? You know what I'm saying. So we talk about a little bit. Yeah, yeah. So definitely, you hit the mark. Where can they find more about you and what you may have going on?

Protected Poet 8:03
I'm very active on IG, so you can find me at Protected Underscore Poet on IG. I'm getting involved with Facebook now, so you can find me on Facebook as Divine D E V I N E.

Donavan LeDean 8:18
Okay,

Protected Poet 8:19
King TikTok. That's going to be very active within the next coming weeks and days and months. That will be protected underscore poet, as well as YouTube protected underscore poet. You can email me for booking at a protected poet@gmail.com, or you can and you know again I gotta plug this because a lot of my traveling that I'm doing literally comes from passion for travel. Okay. So you can also Google passion for travel if you want to move like me.

Donavan LeDean 8:50
Okay. There it is. There it

Protected Poet 8:53
is. Yes. Yes.

Donavan LeDean 8:53
And before we go, I would like for you to share a poem for us. You ready?

Protected Poet 8:58
Yeah. Let's do it. All right, King, talk to him. I'm unhappy and I know, so I stamp my feet. I'm unhappy and I know, so I stamp my feet. Hey, what was my brother to do? Ex-convict conflicted between having one foot in the streets, the other foot on a banana peel, he slipped, fell for the banana in a tailpipe. Now he facing three strikes. It hurted like a twisted, turned knee when the district attorney turned into Wayne Brady and said, "Let's make a deal. 25 years is our best offer. Hey, then he turned into Howie Mandale and said, "Deal or no deal. My brother said, "No deal. Now to this day, my bigger brother's facing open cases. Hey, hey, hey! How. Tell me how we supposed to tell his three kids father's now facing life. Now the only time they can face father is on FaceTime. They're unhappy and I know, so I stamp my feet. They're unhappy and I know, so I stomp my feet. Hey, I stomp my feet so much it feels like I got Achilles heel. Can you give me some words of wisdom on how to heal? I just wanted to be happy and kick it with my friends. Hey, what do you do when your best friend kills your best friend? Hmm. you innocent by association, but now both families feel you guilty by affiliation. Hey, how am I supposed to decide on how to pick a side, aside from being indecisive? I'm unhappy, and I know, so I stop my feet. I'm unhappy. and I know,

Donavan LeDean 11:06
so I stubbed my feet, brother. This is why you bag the role. Phenomenal. Thank you, good boy. You heard it right here. Thank you. The protected poet, my brother. Thank you for your time. Thank you, and I got a book out right now. Julian Blackman on Amazon. The book is called Walking Lighthouse, or you can go to protectivepoet.com. There it is. Appreciate you. The poets that'll be featured on our playlist today are Malika Bella, Luna, Rachel Davera Winninger, Walter English, Sheldon, Alex, Sebastian, Liz Prince, Stephon Petway, Chelsea Marais, and Donovan Lee Ding. Now let's get on with the show. This is next man up, poetry in motion. Here we go. Here we go. Next man up. Queen, or maybe it's like Viola, woman king. Either way, she is supreme, determined. She's not letting up. She's trying to level up. Knock, knock, knock. No answer, solution. She'll force her way in. She don't give a. She's prayed up, determined. She's paid her dues. She went by the rules, searching, searching, searching for clues. Still, no good news. What to do? Do you change up to level up? She tweaks her routine to adjust. You see that? No? Well, I see it. The way she shows brilliance and movement slithering through those who stand still for many reasons gallop, gallop, gallop. Days passed, mood change. She's suffering from anxiety to depression, 'cause she's fed up, being subdued by normalcy. She's had enough breakdown. There goes the tears, palms, reflect, wipe off. sweat. Pause. Now she gets back up. That's in her DNA to grind it out for another day. She's done her time. She's done the labor. She never asks for handouts or favors. She's done her time. She's done her labor. Her effort is for the reward right now. Forget later. Push for now. The money, the smiles, the joy. Push for now. The victory. The toasts of glasses from her and I as we celebrate the reward together. Victory. She's done her time. She's done the labor. She never asks for handouts or favors. She's done her time. She's done her labor. Her effort is for the reward. Right now, forget later. Push for now. The money. The smile. The joy, push for now. The victory, the toast of glasses from her and I as we celebrate the reward together. Victory. Yeah. Victory. Victory for sure. Next man up.

Speaker 2 15:26
This poem is titled "Wounded Bird. I've been wounded. I've been cured. I've been healed. I've been hurt. I've been blessed. I've been cursed. I've been better. I've been worse. Life's a balance with perv, putting my trust in the universe, even when the odds are against me, I still come up first. Let go of my ego and left it all to Mother Earth. I always had my faith. I didn't need a church. Even at my lowest, I knew eventually it would be my turn. Not the most patient, but I'm always putting in the work. I always got pure intentions and keep my word. I sought help when my anxiety and grief collided. My trauma and pride tried fighting. This growth journey is like deep diving, uncovering new depths in my soul. Sometimes it feels tiring. Soul seeking is not for the faint of heart. It's facing your pain head on. Never been a victim. Been both Aladdin and Jafar. This journey has left me with scars. Without my art, I wouldn't have made it this far. In order to protect my energy, because I got a big heart. Let others deplete me in the past. Now I'm in charge. Now I keep myself on guard. Stay sharp. Lately, I've been more in tune with the signs. The other day, I looked into an injured bird's eyes. Could see its fear and resilience. It wasn't ready to die. Realized how many times I didn't give up the fight. Reminded me of how many times I've fallen, but took it as a lesson. How many times I've been betrayed, but it was a blessing. Mother Nature telling me great things are ahead, even though life's a challenge. This is my rebirth. We're about to witness the ascension of a savage.

Donavan LeDean 16:51
Next man up, Dave.

Yahya 16:52
This poem, I don't do a lot of soliloquys, but it's just kind of what poetry is to me, right, and how I think it affects people. King,

Donavan LeDean 17:03
talk to him.

Yahya 17:04
Poetry is more abstract than modern. See, we got more gods than goblins, more madmans than robins. See, it's like this field of dreams, and nobody's picking cottons. Our ancestors are revered instead of forgotten, see poetry is an avenue in which you can travel through to bring clarity. So I loosely give you this air to breathe, and fruits that bear seeds, and seeds that bear keys, and keys that bear deeds to open the door, help you see the things you want to see, and help you see be the place where you want to be, be it right or wrong, back to fantasy through this Creative soul poetry is see poetry is writing to recite with the insights of Morpheus, becoming this poetry contortionist with poems screaming from every orifice while I'm speaking. My spoken word becomes the beacon to elevate those in the streets who need reaching. Mass communication, eat syllable, eat silly, please be teaching. See speech not spoken, just to be speaking. See what cut wrists I do this. I'm the Islamic activist with the Quran in my right hand and prayer beats clenched in left foots with God body clearance, acknowledging He who has engineered this. See my kufi state intact to deflect negative interference. See our situation is getting coarse. See cast floss will maintain a divine mind loss, but there's a recourse, of course, in the cost of innocent corpse. So I seek out the source and go to battle with Eric's swords until my pen locks in with the floss, and then I, I turn them to the dark side. See, I lock them down for that Nourse authorize, then I slay just one of them so they can experience the root of genocide. But until then, my tongue will write on the kinetic wave of my ancestry. 'Cause at this degree, I speaks out, and it's native tongues of poetry. 'Cause see, poetry is my life and poetry is my death. But sometimes it looks like poetry is all that I have left. That's what poetry is to me.

Donavan LeDean 18:57
Next man up. Before I let you go, I would like for you to share a poem for us. You ready?

Jessica Washington 19:02
Oh, let me get ready. All right. Okay.

Donavan LeDean 19:06
Queen, talk to him. Okay.

Jessica Washington 19:10
I don't clock in. I lock in. Tapped into frequencies most folks don't even notice. I'm bilingual in meltdown plus motion fluid and silence and devotion. They see tantrum, I see cisory overload. They see picky eater, I see protecting peace from chaos on the plate. They see nonverbal, I see a universe of thoughts the world ain't even earned the privilege to translate. They try to speak for him instead of letting him speak as him. They assume silence means confused, like I choose words for him. Stop seeing disability, start seeing possibilities. Autism isn't a misprint; it's a different brilliance. I'm a translator, interpreter, advocate, navigator, therapist, teacher, researcher, educator. Appointments on calendars, patience and stamina, balancing meltdowns, holding space, holding stamina. IEP meetings where they judge what he's lacking, while I subtract their assumptions and. Supply backing, proving daily that growth ain't measured in talking. Some babies speak words, mind speaks energy when they walking. His silence ain't empty; it's full, full of galaxies and meaning, full of brilliance they keep missing, full of everything they don't need permission. They label my baby, don't label my fight, don't label the journey when you can't handle the light. The ancestors didn't sign us to be easy. He assigned us to be legendary. Believe me. Thank y'all.

Donavan LeDean 20:27
Here we go. Here we go. Next man up.

Speaker 1 20:30
Sonnet 34, the discontentful sea, dedicated to J M W Tunnel. I long for the deep joy of contentment on the Edenic coastlines, lost in time. Now waves flood ceaselessly with current, bending the hull, shredding the sail with brine. The sea spray slashes cross the groaning mass that I'm tied to as a witness, an exile. The vessel of stodgy oak cutting fast is bound to sink near to an unknown isle. But I won't drown out my affections now, for there's glory and beauty beholden to not a single eye, and at the prow, the sun sits, dreaming to rise all golden through the blue vapors, revealing islands to climb the mist-blanketed islands. Poem.

Sheldon Alex Sebastian 21:40
Next man up. When home doesn't feel the same as it was, where shall I go to feel that old love? I need a new place for my soul to find ease, for my mind to find solace, for my heart to find

Speaker 4 21:52
peace.

Sheldon Alex Sebastian 21:53
Another day is draining, another night the same. I can only hope tomorrow I can leave with what remains. Can leave with what remains.

Speaker 5 22:08
Playing in the music. Allow me to divvle and davel, or we could call it piddle and paddle, while writing a couple riddles while my brain just goes off and rattles about the music and the notes that ride the ruffle feathers of the rough seas, and with the waves washing across my toes and the soles of my beautiful black kingly feet, composed with a flow of no limits, dangerously bumping against the wall, making lines come across magically mystical. The difficult acknowledgment of taste intolerance becomes a sour pill and a bottle when you can't even swallow it. You gotta take it apart like a puzzle and put it back together. You got to make the dough rise and fall like a rider slaying heather. The better the opportunities, the better linguistics, the better that the rhythm of the soul will feel this. The better opportunities, the better the linguistics, the better that the rhythm of the soul will feel this. Peel this onion back. It's got layers, captivating and voluptuous. Ooh, it's not fair. Like jumping from a foul line, your Jordans have got airs. Playing in this music, son, I live there. Move in if you want. It's got plenty of floor space. Atone for your sins before you take shape. Say your hail marys because all eyes are on you. Sovereignty a punishment. Sincerity a plea to make this music sound cool to you. Here we

Donavan LeDean 23:44
go. Here we go. Next man up.

Speaker 6 23:47
Inside me, I need to zone in on the world inside me. Make sense of the silence inside me. Create peace with the thoughts inside me. Speak the truth of the words that live inside me. Channel the voice inside me. Hear the melody inside me. Feel the beating heart inside me. Nurture the child Inside me, please the beast that resides. Inside me, soothe the soul. Inside me, relinquish the fears. Inside me, relax the breath. Inside me, release the energy. Inside me, extend the love. Inside me, listen to the soul inside me. Focus on the vision inside me. Open the eyes inside me. Embrace the warmth inside me. Express the aggression inside me. Conquer the hesitation inside me. Strengthen the core. Inside me, grateful for the power that I possess inside me. Walk with dignity because I know what's best for me.

Donavan LeDean 25:09
Next man up, Boss English. Before we let you go, I would like for you to share a poem for us.

Walter English 25:18
So this is a Pantone called "Thoughts from a black boy in America.

Donavan LeDean 25:26
Ready?

Walter English 25:27
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Donavan LeDean 25:30
Boss English. K. Talto.

Walter English 25:36
I am the one in front of the gun. I am terrified. I know I won't live forever. I haven't even reached my prime. I am terrified, like a rookie at the free throw line. I haven't reached my prime yet. My life is riding on this shot, like a rookie at the free throw line. My heart is racing, yet my life is riding on this shot. My hands are up. My heart is racing. I try to seem less like a threat. My hands are up. I'm doing everything you said. I try to seem less like a threat. Mama, look. I'm doing everything you said. Why does this hurt, Mama? Look, I the one in front of the gun. Why does this hurt? I know I won't live forever. I am the one in front of the gun. I am terrified. I know I won't live forever, haven't even reached my point.

Donavan LeDean 26:41
Here we go. Here we go. Next man up.

Melikabella 26:43
So, for context, this poem was written for the Afro salsa diva. It's all about Afro salsa and Cuban fusion. It's entitled Roots.

Donavan LeDean 26:53
Mirena. Tautour. The

Melikabella 26:56
way the water flows, we already know. Los Nourishas have our backs from any spiritual attacks. There is strength within, grace and beauty. The wind were powered by this forest beyond our control, lifted up by the divine as we hear the thunder roar. Warriors shining brightly, feeling free. Our truth all along is found amidst the trees. We must remember the balance we achieve by being who our ancestors fought for us to be. So why don't you come and dance with me?

Donavan LeDean 27:35
Powerful, Miss Malika Bella, Queen. Thank you for your time.

Melikabella 27:41
Thank you.

Donavan LeDean 27:41
Next man up. Before you go, I would like for you to share a poem for

Melikabella 27:46
us. Oh yeah.

Donavan LeDean 27:46
Ready?

The Unknown Odist 27:47
I'm ready. All

Speaker 4 27:47
right.

Donavan LeDean 27:52
Okay. Talk to him.

The Unknown Odist 27:56
Life don't come with a manual. Just scandals and sandals on paths that burn like candles. We gamble with fate like Vegas nights. Fight our reflections like shadows with rights. Ingest wisdom from old heads that never chewed slow. I grew though through potholes and plot holes and folks that got goals but stopped cold when dreams felt like frostbite. I toss light in dark spaces and spark stages with truth. 'Cause life ain't a sprint. It's a loop, a fruit that ripens with bruises, a fuse lit by losses that win if you use it. And it's life. And it's life.

Donavan LeDean 28:37
Before we go, I would like to conclude with a power message. It's a message about negative energy. At one point, we all are faced with situations that will test our humility, moral decency. Situations such as stress at work, bully tactics, the kind of negative energy created by others who have bad intentions and is thrown your way. Things may get so bad that it may eventually wear down your immune system, causing you to consume that negative energy to a point where you also become that person with bad intentions because you've allowed foolish pride to get in the way. Sometimes it's best to walk away if it has not caused you any bodily harm. Find other environments that welcomes positive energy. Professional help such as therapy can be a solution. If you have a confidant, talk to them as well. Remember, with every action there is a reaction. So choose the action that will promote positive energy and good mental health. Thanks for tuning in to Next Man Up, Poetry in Motion. I am your host Donna Villede. To see my inspirational and poetry reels, you can go to YouTube at Donna Villede. Also, you can find my poetry books, children's books, and coloring books. On Amazon under my name, Donovan Lede, for actor or poets bookings, you can contact me dvmedia one zero@gmail.com. Special thanks to my guest, the protected poet, for stopping by discussing poetry, purpose, and mental health. I am Donovan Leade, actor, author, and inspirational rhythmic poet. Until next time, peace. Dave.

Speaker 4 30:30
Thrive.

Unknown Speaker 30:43
Dave.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai