On Wednesday night, two of Jamaica’s spoken word talent gave formidable sets on the first of Redbones Blues Café Poetry Nights series for 2017.

Performers Everard “Esquire” Smith and Miguel “Steppa” Williams gave the small gathering a big taste of what to expect from their soon-to-be published books.

No stranger to the monthly poetry event, Smith — the winner of 2013 Redbones Writer’s Award for the Poem of the Year, titled Reflection — served up a strong dose of entertaining satires from his book coming out on February 28, called Birth.

He connected with the audience with pieces such as Time; a poem for the ladies titled In Your Mind; and FOCUS, with which he took a hilarious swipe at the system.

Steppa thrilled patrons with a most dynamic presentation of I’m Medical Doctor, A Mission, Gimmie Dat Plant, and Madda Earth. Accompanied by his percussionist Thunder, Steppa, who is currently writing for his Phd in Cultural Studies, lived up to the title of his upcoming book I Gun.

— Basil Walters