Photo courtesy of Stephen Mayu

It had already been a long day for Stephen Mayu with no end in sight. He had been so busy during the day that taking time to eat had completely slipped his mind.

Boarding a train to make his way home, Mayu was forced to take the last seat next to another man. The man was covered in tattoos and looked like a threatening character to Mayu.

But he had cast judgment much too quickly. The man, Allen, started a conversation with Mayu, who had realized just how hungry Mayu was.

When Allen offered Mayu the only thing he had to eat, a Snickers candy bar, Mayu̢۪s perception immediately changed. The two men kept talking for the rest of their ride and in the end, Mayu felt terrible for judging Allen.

Mayu, 30, has a unique way of sharing this story and his other life experience — as G.F.T.D. 1 or “gifted oneâ€Â.

G.F.T.D. 1 is the stage name Mayu uses when he performs poetry. His style is positive and uplifting, which he writes based on his life experience.

“I definitely try to avoid negativity in my poems,â€Â Mayu said. “It’s pointless. I don’t have any poems thus far that drives you to wanna jump off of something.â€Â

From his experience on the train, Mayu wrote a poem “Snicker Allen,â€Â a piece about being slow to judge and being more accepting of people in everyday life.

Positive poems like “Snicker Allenâ€Â have helped Mayu make a name for himself in the local poetry scene since he began writing a couple years ago .

Mayu said he has always been interested in other writing styles, but recently became interested in poetry.

He was intrigued by watching a poet named In-Q and was inspired to give poetry a try.

“The poetry side of things has really just come about within the last year and a half,â€Â Mayu said. “I just went to a show and thought to myself ‘Hey, I can do this.’â€Â

That night after the show, Mayu went home and tried his hand.

He did not think too much of his first poem until he read it for a co-worker who thought it was beautiful — so beautiful, that she could not hold her tears back.

“Either she was having a bad day, or this is powerful stuff,â€Â Mayu said.

After the reaction he received from his first poem, Mayu decided to take his writing more seriously and practice until he was comfortable performing.

He was definitely not ready for his first show.

He was expecting to go out and watch some other local poets with a friend, but he ended up on stage after his friend volunteered Mayu to perform.

“I was just terrified,â€Â Mayu said.

Since that first night, Mayu has been up on stage many times and has been gaining a reputation as a poet and performer. His experiences have sparked a new venture, Black Light Poetry.

The idea came from a performance of another local poet and close friend of Mayu, Caleb Werner. While Warner, known as Tell Tale, was on stage, all power was lost and the room went pitch black.

Warner was ready to give up, until members of the audience used their cell phones and lighters to illuminate the room just enough to for him to finish his piece.

“It was an incredible experience where you are forced to listen and forced to engage the poet,â€Â Warner said. “There is nothing to distract you.â€Â

Both Mayu and Warner performed their pieces in the dark that night and had a revelation of spoken word without lighting. They both wanted to recreate the environment.

Together, the poets Tell Tale and G.F.T.D. 1 started their own poetry jam known as Black Light Poetry in an attempt to mimic the feeling created by the power outage.

But not everyone thought their project would be a success. Some local poets told Mayu that the idea has been tried and no one has been able to get it right.

Mayu responded by saying, “It hasn’t been tried by me.â€Â

In September, the two hosted the first ever Black Light Poetry. Neither Mayu nor Warner performed at the show. They only hosted and gave other local poets the chance to take the microphone.

“We just want to keep all the attention on the poets that are performing,â€Â Warner said.

After selling only 10 tickets prior to the show, Warner and Mayu expected it to be a failure, but more than 120 people showed up to watch In-Q, the poet that inspired Mayu, and other poets perform in near dark.

The show was such a hit that Mayu and Warner have scheduled another Black Light Poetry for Nov. 14.

They will try to make sure the show has a similar feel and keeps all the attention on the poets.

“We want to keep it the same, just a very intimate atmosphere where people come hear poetry,â€Â Warner said. “Spoken word is just something that is truly beautiful.â€Â

Besides creating a unique feel for the show with the lighting, Mayu said that he hopes the show keeps local talent in Fresno and give other poets a chance to have an audience.

“The problem with Fresno is that so many talented people leave to go somewhere they are appreciated,â€Â Mayu said.

With the next event being planned, Mayu has still not decided if he will take the stage at the event. Whether or not he performs, he will continue to write as much as he can and perform his poetry with his encouraging outlook.

“Life might be tough, but there still is a positive ending,â€Â Mayu said.

Black Light Poetry

Enjoy local poetry, live music and London based guest, Polar Bear at the latest installment of Black Light Poetry on Nov. 14.

̢ۢ Downtown Community Arts Collective, 745 P St.

• For more information, visit Black Light Poetry’s MySpace.