A New Chapter Begins

When Ida Gaines walked into Brunswick County Literacy Council looking for tutoring, she did not expect to discover she was a poet.

Brunswick County Literacy Council helps adults learn to read, write and gain confidence. But every now and then, it helps someone discover something even bigger. That’s what happened to Ida Gaines, who, in her eighth decade of life walked in looking for tutoring and walked out on a path to becoming a poet.

The Brunswick County Literacy Council provides tutoring and educational support for adults who want to improve their reading, writing and English language skills, earn a high school equivalency diploma or simply gain confidence. For Gaines, the council provided instruction and something else — encouragement and the push she needed to begin writing seriously for the first time in her life.

When she was growing up, Gaines loved to read. Books, magazines, it didn’t matter. Anything with words. As a teenager, she kept a journal in which she would capture thoughts, feelings and the moments of her days.

As happens to most, life moves on, priorities change, and for Gaines, her time spent writing became less frequent. Born in Bolivia, her family moved to Virginia in the early 1950s, when she was in elementary school. She grew up there, attended barber college and eventually built a life in Ohio, where she worked at Ohio State University and raised two children. But after a divorce and the passing of her parents, she felt a pull to return to her roots in Brunswick County.

It was back home that Gaines’ creative life began to bloom in unexpected ways. In July of 2025, she picked up her pen again with a serious intention of writing. This time, she was unconsciously exploring a new literary genre: poetry.

“I didn’t know I was writing poetry,” Gaines says. “I just wrote about what was happening in my life, good or bad, and tried to make sense of it.”

Because she is an avid reader, Gaines wanted to brush up on her grammar and writing skills, so she stopped by the Brunswick County Literacy Council to ask about tutoring. What she found there was not just instruction, but affirmation.

Her tutor, Dr. Chuck Gulas, recognized a poetic rhythm in her writings and encouraged her to explore it further.

“He said, ‘You’re leaning more toward poetry than anything,’ and I didn’t know that,” she recalls. “He’s been encouraging me ever since.”

That encouragement unlocked something. Since then, Gaines has filled countless pages with her words, some deeply personal, others drawn from the world around her. She writes about the passage of time, family and beauty in ordinary days. Her process is thoughtful and meditative. She writes, pauses and reflects before revising her work into polished pieces she’s proud to share.

Her poems, often inspired by nature, faith and relationships, come to her unexpectedly. Sometimes it’s a phrase that arrives in the middle of the night or the image of a bird outside her window that sparks a new line.

“Every now and then, I believe it’s the Lord giving me something to write about,” she says. “When that happens, I just have to sit down and write until it’s all out.”

Gaines’ poems are from an emotionally honest voice that resonates with readers because it comes from lived experience.

Midnight Rambler

By Ida Gaines
I see you.
You thought I wasn’t watching.
You thought I didn’t see you doing your thing.
But I did
But I did
Midnight Rambler
I am wise.
You can’t fool me.
Just when you thought you had it made,
slipping and sliding and wearing your dark shades,
Why do you think you can get away with your deceit?
Who you think you are,
you’re not.
Smooth and cool is not your game.
Your momma did not raise you to lie.
You say there is no place to go.
You think I care!
You can’t stay here.
You have got to go.
From you! I take no mess.
You need to pack your rags and ease on out the door.
You say you’re sorry, you won’t do it again,
Sorry is no option.
Who do you think I am?
I’m easy going, but I ain’t no fool.
Go do your thing.
You know you’re just a Midnight Rambler.

Gaines remains humble about her writing.

“I don’t always see what others see in my writing,” she admits. “It was a surprise to me when people said they were moved by it.”

To learn more about Brunswick Literacy Council, call (910) 754-7323, visit bcliteracy.org or stop by their office at 282 Ocean Highway E. in Supply.