FDR Poets!

The New Dealer is happy to feature three talented poets this edition: Barakat Jooda, Jeraldine Diyarza, and Stephanie Rampaul.

SUN

by Barakat Jooda

golden wonder of the Milky Way

yellow glory of light and betrayer of darkness

dirty yellow and burnt orange of the twinkle in my eye

you illuminate as you cry, and as you smile, I rise

your gentleness on my face, as you exist, I rise.

you remind me of a mother’s smile

a passionate lover, 

a perfectly imperfect existence.

golden glory, yellow wonder, 

mother of perfect imperfections.

MI TORMENTA

by Jeraldine Diyarza

Eres una tormenta de líquido vivo

Yo solo soy un vacío desierto

Tú no tienes que estar aquí

Ni siquiera sé si me haces bien

Irracionalmente mi alrededor necesita de ti

Y la necesidad vive en mi

No pude evitar que entraras

Que comenzaras a alterar cada rincón

Y terminaras por hacerlo tuyo

Justo como si tú mismo conocieras en control sano

De la sanidad y mi necesidad no estoy segura.

Pero “tormenta” sáname con eso que es mi plegaria y será mi desastre.

Emily’s Mind

by Stephanie Rampaul

This poem from the point of view of Emily Dickinson, in the 1800s:

Days are away,

as death comes to play, through revolution, riots, and rebellion,

I have no escape.
Working hard as a tenured women, there is no rest,
But soon I depart,
This life from hard work and love I shall declare.
Days are near and it is death I fear.