Today we’d like to introduce you to Wesley Robinson.
Hi Wesley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I had just turned 21 two weeks prior when I got caught in the act of robbing a convenience store by an off-duty police officer. My cousin and I went on a robbing spree in Toledo after one of the neighborhood store owners had disrespected me, so I felt. We robbed 7 days a week, for 3 months straight, until we were caught and sentenced to 10 mandatory years in prison. While I was in the county jail, my girlfriend at the time sent me a poem that I had wrote her on her birthday with a sticky note on it that said, “Remember this!!! “‘. I began to write her poems in hopes that I could write a poem so good that it would inspire her to not leave me because I knew I was going to prison for a long time. God put it in my heart to not try to hold her back, so we agreed to part ways. Even after she left, I continued to write her poetry in hopes to see her again one day. On my prison journey, my love poems to her eventually turned into poems of sadness and alienation. I eventually started to teach other prisoners’ poetry in hopes that we could help others who judged us see us as human beings as well as people who were just delt a bad hand in life. Every prison that I was in, I taught poetry as well as used poetry as my voice. This is when I obtained the moniker “WallStreet Wes” The poetry programs that I created had gained the attention of not only the entire prison, including the staff but also the outside community. Churches would beat down the doors of the prison to get inside of the prison to witness the poetry shows that I was curating. At the same time, I was studying the dictionary religiously and being trained by other prisons in public speaking, not knowing it was only increasing my ability to speak to the masses.
When I was released from prison, I would do poetry anywhere I could be heard. In bars, clubs, street corners, under the streetlights, or on stages. I believed in the message that God put in my heart so much that even though I was on parole and wasn’t suppose to leave the state, I still traveled state to state and would show up in ghettos across the United States and do poetry in hopes to let God use me through this gift that I had developed.
After being home a little while, I realized that I had some mental health issues that I had acquired from being in prison. I felt myself crashing fast and quickly psychologically. I searched high and low for help to no avail. I was so scared that I hid from the world. I stopped going to work and college and just hid in an apartment on Lakeshore. What helped me recover was I was so desperate to find out what was happening inside of my mind that I started doing my own research and creating platforms for other people who got out of prison who felt themselves crashing psychologically. I eventually found out that what I was experiencing was “Post incarceration syndrome.” It’s PTSD on steroids. I began to dedicate my life to the mental health of people being released from prison because I suffered as well.
When I resurfaced, I began to take my poetry career serious but instead of taking the normal route of poets, I decided to focus on the poetry business and to create opportunities for poets as well as structuring my business where I curated poetry experiences for my community in the name of mental health. I also go back into the very prisons that I was locked up in myself and create poetry programs and to build the self-esteem of the men inside in hopes to help them come home better than I did.
Since I started to take the poetry business serious, I’ve won awards for my work, I’ve been written about in publications as far as Los Angeles, and I’ve even auditioned for “Americas Got Talent”. I also played the lead role in “Dead Presidents,” the play. Poetry has turned my life around and has given me so many memories that I can be proud of.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t believe anyone’s road has been smooth. What made my road Rocky was as I tried to learn the poetry business and find my niche, I got taken advantage of so much by promoters and business owners desperate to bring money to their business. I was doing poetry shows for the love of it, so it made me not respected by a lot of people whose motivation was the money. On top of me having to learn the business the hard way, I felt lost out here in this world. Even though I was creating a good name for myself, in my personal life, I was crashing now. My family and I couldn’t get along because we had grew apart during those 10 years of incarceration, and I couldn’t find any success in my relationships with women. Prison had persevered my heart, and I was ready to live and love but the women that I dated had their heart’s broken so many times that it was like trying to date someone who is drowning … a lot of the times they pull you under as well. This led to me self-medicating and being dependent on alcohol and weed.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a professional poet who specializes in the poetry business. I call myself “the puffy of poetry” 😁. I am known for being the Drake of poetry. My goal is to bring more money to the poetry industry. Poets are so necessary for the hearts and minds of the world. What sets me apart from other poets is I write all of my poetry in my head. I never write anything down. I’ve executive produced poetry movies and plays from my mind, never writing anything down on paper. Also, what sets me apart is I’m more interested in helping poets than being known for poetry myself. I have so much to be proud of. I’m very happy how I’ve turned out as a man. When I look back on my journey, I’m proud of how I’ve handled myself in the face of adversity.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a vibrant kid. I was extremely funny and playful. I use to love to dance. I was a really good dancer. My family members to this day call me Wusher because I could dance really well like Usher.
Contact Info:
- Website: Wallstreetwes.com
- Instagram: Wallstreet_wes_gmtd
