Ayomide Bayowa has dedicated two years to his role as the City of Mississauga’s fourth poet laureate. Ahead of his term concluding this spring, Bayowa reflects on his experiences in the honorary position.
Ayomide Bayowa has served as the poet laureate for the city of Mississauga since November 2021. His time in the role will come to an end in April when the city chooses a new candidate to fulfill the next term. This is one of his poems, titled ‘Simply Put.’For more than two years, Mississauga's poet laureate Ayomide Bayowa has been using his words in an effort to amplify the voices of his community.
In his time in the role, Bayowa not only wrote and performed poetry, but also attended events like poetry slams, taught poetry in school, and engaged with as many residents as he could — both in person and through social media. When asked what advice he could give to the incoming poet laureate, Bayowa stressed the importance of the position's ability to speak for all residents of the city.
"Poetry in this place comes in when you realize you actually need to make meaning and expression of what is going on around you," he said. "You're a person of people. You're not just a person of yourself alone. You need to be ready to stand out for people."
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