UTMC custodian pens poetry book

November 26, 2013 | Arts, Features, UToday, UTMC
By Khyara Harris



Derrick Hamilton has always had a passion for poetry, but he mostly kept it to himself. That changed in 2010 when he attended a function at the Rock Church and sat in on a sermon being led by the Rev. Michael Shakespeare.

Derrick Hamilton with his poetry book, “My Life and Times That Happen to Rhyme”

Derrick Hamilton with his poetry book, “My Life and Times That Happen to Rhyme”

“He had said that there were writers among the congregation and that we needed to share our gift,” said Hamilton, who has worked for six years as a custodian at The University of Toledo Medical Center.

It was this moment that changed Hamilton’s attitude toward his poetry, and he decided to self-publish his first book, My Life and Times That Happen to Rhyme.

“I was inspired to write the book because a collection I started in high school began to grow to a large quantity, and I wanted to get them out to the world,” he said.

Hamilton worked alongside his friend LaToya Williams and his pastor, the Rev. Richard Brown III, to turn his dream of a poetry book into a reality.

“My key purpose for the book was to show people in multiple situations a positive point of view,” he said. “I knew that there were a lot of people who had the same struggles I had, and I wanted to uplift them with my story.”

The book is split into four sections: My Life, My Times, My Happenings and My Rhymes. Each details Hamilton’s life through various poems he’s written and music lyrics he’s penned. The poems touch upon Hamilton’s struggle to become a man, as well as his marriage. There also are poems inspired by the stories of others.

Hamilton’s poetry collection is available via Amazon and is sold through Barnes & Noble online stores as an ebook and paperback.

He is working on his second work, a children’s book titled Mystery Gifts.

Click to access the login or register cheese