THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605150131
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Religion
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Poetry has long been Judy Lawrence Lamb's healing grace.
The words, sometimes rhyming, sometimes not, have always had a way of releasing the pain, she says: ``I had a lot of pain that I couldn't get in touch with. Somehow, writing words were easier than saying them.''
I promise I will never hold
my feelings deep within
I'll always share with you, my soul
because you're my best friend
Lamb has worked a number of years to craft her hobby into a full-time profession. Her self-published book, ``Reaching Out: A Collection of Inspirational Poetry,'' was released Wednesday.
Divided into four sections, the poetry is mostly inspirational and talks about Lamb's journey through faith in God. Poet Nikki Giovanni called it a ``wonderful exploration of a human soul.''
Last year, Lamb was a semi-finalist for ``Poet of the Year,'' a competition sponsored by the International Society of Poets, based in Owings Mill, Md. Sunday at 1 p.m., Lamb will have a book signing at Oak Grove Baptist Church, 2635 E. Washington St., Suffolk. Many of her friends and relatives will be on hand, including a poet friend from Denver.
The signing is a homecoming of sorts.
Lamb grew up in Suffolk. Her father, James Wesley Lawrence, was a housing manager at a number of local complexes. She says her dad was proud and outspoken, often rankling whites for his stands on civil rights issues.
The family was threatened; the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses in their yard. Her mother, who was from New York, couldn't adjust to racism in the South. Shortly afterward, Lamb's parents divorced, yet father and daughter remained in Suffolk.
``If you run away, you can't make a difference,'' says Lamb. ``He (dad) was not a quitter by any means.''
Yet Lamb moved away from Suffolk three years ago after several events made her life turbulent. Her father died, and her marriage ended. To start anew, she moved to Chesapeake with her children and lived in a housing project. ``My life is so full of trauma, but God made me so strong,'' says Lamb.
Peace within brings peace without
our hearts we need to review
There is room for improvement
remember, it begins with you
Along with her faith, writing helped Lamb to persevere. She had discovered writing while working as a teacher's assistant in Suffolk. Lamb then began writing for her church, but her pastor urged her to ``share her gifts.'' In turn, Lamb discovered herself.
Some find love in houses and land
others in their sources of wealth
But in order to find real lasting love
you must first find love within yourself
While living at the housing project, Lamb met her future husband, whom she calls the ``wind beneath her wings.'' Their meeting was by fate, she says.
Lamb says someone stole her new patio furniture. Upset, Lamb walked through the complex, asking neighbors if they'd seen the perpetrator. She knocked on the door of William Lamb. Meanwhile, Lamb was considering suicide. His longtime wife had died.
``When I met her, I wanted to live,'' says William Lamb. ``She's so caring and loving to everyone she meets. She's a Christian, and not one of those type of Christians who go to church on Sunday and then raises hell on Monday.''
They married and moved to a stylish house in Georgetown in Chesapeake. But soon after, another tragedy hit her household: her oldest son, Adrian, died in car accident. Lamb credits God, her husband and children - and the poetry - as her support system. She hopes others will be touched by her words.
``I hope they get out of it what I got out of it: comfort and hope.''
The book, at $12.95, is available at The Way Christian Book Store at 1256 Holland Road in Suffolk and Forever Joy Christian Store at 211 Providence Road in Chesapeake. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Judy Lawrence Lamb's collection of poetry was released Wednesday.
by CNB