First Street • Trench Town • Kingston 12
Michelle is a close friend of mine and a teacher at the TrenchTown Reading Centre Summer School. Michelle has a shop down the street from the Centre, which is also set-up for people to sit, relax and socialize.
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“Luke Somers was a warm-hearted person. I met Luke while working at the TrenchTown Reading Centre one summer. It was awesome meeting Luke. We taught and had lunch together. He often visited my home and we’d sit and talk.
Luke told me after got back that he was going to go to America to visit with his mom and family, stay there for some time and then visit his father in England. After visiting his parents Luke planned to tour the world and he talked about how he could make that happen and where he might go.
Luke stayed at the Trench Town Culture Yard and was accepted and liked by everyone. He liked to dance and watch TV. Dancing at the Culture Yard, TV at my place. Luke was fun to be around. When you saw Luke he was always smiling, always willing to do whatever and always a good friend.
Luke said he really liked being in Trench Town and said he planned to come back to work with us and stay longer.
2015: It was good to sit with his mother, Paula and his brother, Jordan and share our memories when they visited Trench Town.
Luke is sadly missed and well remembered, always.”
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STONEMAN March 2017
First Street • Trench Town • Kingston 12
Artist in Residence at the Trench Town Culture Yard
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“ Early every morning Luke and I drank tea together.
Luke told me his dad also did art, so I gave him a piece of my artwork for him to give to his dad. He thought it would be nice for me to meet his father because we both loved art.
Luke loved photography and said he was thinking of going to the Middle East to teach and do photography. I told him don’t do photography work, just do the teaching because cause journalism can be dangerous.
Luke was a very loving person, a good soul. “
Email from Luke - September 28, 2011
Jordan/Mother,
Thought I might as well send a couple photos. The first one shows me and Amad, a boy that lives in a building across from my own. He's wonderful and we don't understand a word the other says and we're good friends. He's very frail, really has no use of his limbs. But he has great wit and charm about him, and when he calls out my name when I'm entering or exiting the outer gate to my home, it makes me feel good. We sit down together and don't understand a word, but like I said, it's good.
The second photos was taken during Revolution Day celebrations at Change Square - where the government opposition is camped out. Osama's a really impressive young man. While so many denizens of the tent city spend so much time chewing qat (I'm actually doing so right now and running strong), he's spent time shaping painting skills. And, lo and behold, a week or so ago, I run into him wearing scrubs, as he's now volunteering as a medical worker at the mosque-turned makeshift hospital adjoining Change Square and near the front gates of Sana'a University.
Love,
Luke
