If you think it's time to begin unpacking some of your emotional baggage, an upcoming performance by a local writer may provide the words to start you on the journey.

Andra Simons, best known as the charismatic host of the bi-monthly open-mic poetry session "Flow Sunday'', has put together a collection of his own original poetry to create what he refers to as "a performance workshop under poetic license''.

The performance, entitled "Sometimes An Ass Is Got To Shake The Load Off His Back'', will be in the style of a choreopoem -- where poems are linked together by theme and dramatically read or acted out.

And the production, to be performed at Rock Island coffeehouse, will address some of the serious issues facing Bermudians.

"The whole piece has to do with honesty -- being honest with oneself and pulling away at those ugly parts of ones' personality, ones' personal history, ones' national history and looking at it for what it is,'' said Mr. Simons.

"It's about looking at ones' place in the community and deciding where do I stand, what are my views about the community that surrounds me?'' The performance, which is expected to be about an hour long, explores deeply personal issues in an effort to have the audience do the same.

"I speak for no one except myself,'' he said. "Some of the pieces are done from other people's perspective, but it's still just my understanding of those perspectives.

"A lot of this piece is about violation -- violation of the spirit and violation of the body. Just discussing that is a vulnerable position to put yourself in.

"It's scary, but even when I was living in Toronto I would always throw myself head-first into a deep ravine and then worry about my bleeding head afterward.

"I would eventually realise that I needed the fall, the spirit of the flight downwards to develop and to grow.

"But what I would really like from the performance is for a Bermudian audience to become in touch with where they are individually in relation to their community and themselves -- what do they need to acknowledge within themselves? "Until we become honest with the self, we cannot move forward as a community -- and that's really what I'm going after here.'' The performance's unusual title is taken from one of Mr. Simons' poems entitled "Maxine's Martyrdom'', which is about a heavyset woman who is teased by her community.

"She unleashes the spirit of the earth through her connectedness with the earth and swallows up all those people that taunt her,'' explained Mr. Simons.

"The whole idea behind this performance is that we must not be beasts of burden to ourselves, we've got to find those periods in our lives where we unload the baggage placed on us by other people and ourselves,'' he noted.

"It's interesting that we can't imagine the mule or the donkey as a free, wild-spirited animal or as anything other than a beast of burden -- and oftentimes, we allow ourselves to be the ass.'' Mr. Simons stressed that the performance is a work-in-progress, and he hopes to use audience feedback -- only 20 to 25 people will view the performance per night -- to help solidify the script.

His eventual goal is to put on a one-hour performance piece in a year or two using some of the same material.

Mr. Simons is no stranger to performance or the written word -- he has enhanced his poetry through performance methods learned while attending theatre school in Canada.

Prior to moving back to Bermuda in 1997, Mr. Simons performed with a Toronto-based spoken word band called "Stumblin' Tongues''.

He began to develop his own art when his Stumblin' Tongues band partner went to Costa Rica for three months.

While she was away, Mr. Simons was forced to perform by himself and began to experiment with his poetic performances.

"I had a lot more freedom than I usually had in putting my poems in a thematic sequence in order to get my points across,'' he noted.

From that point, Mr. Simons said he was inspired to do a one-person piece.

"I had always been encouraged while in theatre school to concentrate on a one-person performance because they thought that was one of my strengths,'' he added.

After participating in fellow Bermudian poet Alan Smith's production of "Soul Deep: A Funked-Up Love Vibe'' last year, Mr. Simons said he was inspired to do a similar type of project.

Mr. Simons along with Mr. Smith and Vernee Simmons will be co-producing the show under the umbrella of Chameleon and Theatre inni' Productions.

Although the choreopoem is intended to have a somewhat cathartic effect on the audience, Mr. Simons warns that the performance also represents a very personal journey for him as an individual.

"Bermudians have a need to see theatre as comedy -- they don't necessarily want to see their lives portrayed on stage, which is why we're such a screwed up society,'' he said.

"We hide everything in this community, and the comedies aid in our hiding.

"Serious productions have been done here, but they get a lot of flack for it -- those are the most controversial and offensive productions for a lot of people.

"To be honest, some of my work will be offensive to those who choose to be offended -- and it is a choice to be offended.

"I would want everyone to come see it, even though there are only 200 tickets. But don't come if you know you are a person who offends easily.

"You have to realise that as soon as you step foot in Rock Island, you have to be prepared for my personal journey -- and don't impose your roadblocks in my journey.'' The choreopoem will be performed at Rock Island Coffeehouse from March 3 to 7, and from March 9 to 13. The show will start at 7.30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Rock Island or from Andra at Staples.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 234-3156. Partial proceeds to go to the Women's Resource Centre.