LISELLE POWDER

 

El Mina Castle

 

Yes, this is one of my home I never knew.

I was never told of this home.

I was brought here to live amongst these people like me.

We huddled together and couldn’t breathe.

We slept next to each other

I didn’t know my mother.

There was no shower, only to be thrown into the sea.

I guess that’s the end.

But they picked me.

But I’m just a little child, they didn’t think so.

They put me on the stage, and they call for me.

It was the greatest show.

I went from one hand to the next.

My shackles made noise, as if to drown the screams

of crying voices.

They sold me to him. I must obey.

He is my master. I do what he say.

I see some more dive into the sea,

With hands and feet chained and shackled.

Maybe they want to be cleaned.

But they never came back.

You will only hear their screams.

 

The Next Next

 

It’s the next thing the next big thing.

Where is that next?

How can you see it?

But it’s there somewhere.

It’s faith believing on that next.

The next goal, the next open door.

The next victory, the next step.

It’s just a next, to the next to the next.

It sings in your spirit.

The next gives you that drive to go.

It gives you that zeal to push.

It’s like running that race to the finish line.

It’s from kindergarten, high school and then college.

The Next big thing is coming.

You don’t see it?

It right there.

Look good, look very good

Yuh see it now.

It right next to you, it right inside of you and,

it’s coming next to a mindset near you.

 

He Graduated With The Turban Hat

 

There he is, walking like nobody’s business.

His black cape opened like the magic carpet in Aladdin.

He was walking on air. I saw the turban.

It moved like the floating lanterns of Asia,

or sailed like the river boats on the Ganges River-maybe.

Maybe he came from under the rubbles of war zones

and torn places of despair.

Maybe he saw the trouble waters and swam to safety.

His safety of hiding from the bombs, from the

killers, murderers, and kidnappers.

Missiles that waved at him as it passed by.

He must’ve ran, didn’t know where his family was.

He must’ve remembered.

His tears will never be enough, to water

the troubled land.

He never drowned in his nightmares.

I saw his cape spread as if to cover little boys and girls,

protecting them from the lie.

The lie of running all their lives and not winning.

But he ran, he ran over jagged stones that cut his feet.

Till the blood marked the pattern of determination.

He ran for his life, till he ran on the stage.

He graduated on a row boat maybe from India.

 

LISELLE POWDER

 

LISELLE POWDER was born in the small Caribbean Island of Trinidad and Tobago. Born to Edwina Warner (deceased) and Bindley Powder. She is the last of six siblings. She is divorced and a mother of two daughters and a granddaughter. Having migrated to the US in 2014, she decided to write poetry about her experiences coming to America. She met with Edna White an Author, and the rest was history. Liselle has written in Edna’s book “No Sweet Meat Tell Me the Truth” and contribute to the school newspaper where she works. Liselle held her first poetry show on July 10th, 2021, she also writes in Ms. Edna’s Magazine called “SPEAK MAGAZINE.” and wrote her first short story titled “Teenage Mom” and her poetry book titled “Still Overcoming”. Her short story “Teenage Mom” together with other short stories, is a combination by different authors coming together for the Anthology “Women Write Now” which was launched in November in 2022. With her continuous writing, she was entered in an Anthology for the months of June, July and November of 2020, also June and July of 2021, and for July 2022. Liselle was awarded the Cheryl R Canton Incentive and the Willie Henry Riddick Memorial Award in June 2021, for winning an essay competition placing first. Liselle wrote another book entitled “Welcome to America,” which is on Amazon. Liselle is also an artist and has also sold some of her work. Liselle was honored and one of her poems was chosen for Black Poetry Day, in October 2022., and the reviews was excellent. Liselle will be honored in August and September at a gala ceremony for her contribution to writing. One of Liselle painting was accepted for an open call from the East Islip Council Gallery, the exhibit was in March and ended on the 14th of April. Another painting form Liselle was also accepted in an open Call to be posted on social media for the month of April, it was posted on Lisa D’Amico Arts platform and social media. Liselle also recited two of her poems at the Juneteenth celebrations 2023, in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, as she was a guest of honor sponsored by the Writers Workshop curated by Nathaniel Gadsden. Liselle hopes one day to have her first Art Show soon. Liselle has come a long way and she strives to be the best of top poets and artist the world is yet to see.