The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

FOURTEEN-year-old Lester Williams has learning challenges when it comes to the written word. As challenging as it has been, dyslexia did not discourage Lester from writing poetry. The St Andrew’s School student found his niche in creative writing last year and has since penned hundreds of poems.

A wide range of subject matters including love, disaster, nature, human survival are highlighted in Lester’s personal collection which comprises 326 poems.

“Looking at nature and the stories of people from the past inspire me. When I thought about 9/11, I wrote about the disaster and the pain this act caused others. In addition, I wrote about Abraham Lincoln and his dedication to human survival,” said Lester, speaking about one of his favourite poems.

“My Secret Love Life” was written out of curiosity. Lester said oftentimes he wondered what being in love felt like and decided to pour those feelings into a poem.

“I write about how words or actions can influence the way a person can think about the world. I write about how everything has a beautiful and chaotic side. I write about how others have struggled throughout history,” he said.

Having worked closely with Lester in her eighth grade learning support class, Joyce Johnson said she noticed Lester’s raw talent.

“We started working as a team. Lester would read his handwritten poetry and I would type his words with him following on the computer screen. He would clarify his writing and dictate his work. His talent was so striking in contrast to his challenges that I encouraged him to continue writing his poems,” said Ms Johnson.

“As a result, we spent months with Lester reading his poems and me typing his words. When he went on to undertake a research paper on the Nobel Prize in Literature with a focus on the poetry of Derek Walcott and Tomas Transtromer, it was evident that he understood the work of these Nobel Prize winners and was inspired by them,” she said.

Despite his dyslexia, Lester intends to pursue creative writing as a professional career. In fact, the young St Andrew’s student is not wasting any time. He has already written a play called “The Saviour”. He sent it off to Hollywood producers in hopes that it becomes the plot of a next big movie.

“It is rare, indeed, that a young man facing these obstacles would embrace creative writing. He faces challenges with written expression. However, his resilience and ability to face these challenges allow him to develop his tremendous capacity for descriptive writing and poetry. He surpasses these challenges and expresses his feelings, emotions and observations in great depth,” said Ms Johnson.

“The depth of perception and unique images that convey sensitive human feelings make his work special. He captures the human condition in his poetry because he writes from his heart with simple honesty. In a world where so few teenagers are able to express their emotions in words, where they frequently resort to violence and aggression, Lester finds the words to help him understand what really matters in life,” she told Tribune Arts.

Poems

By Lester Williams

9.11

The windy trail blew hard

As I saw the metal clashing

With the glass.

Destruction fell

And every day from then

On I wonder what have we become?

A human always has a choice

However, today, jealousy has poisoned

Our minds and at that moment

Revenge was made.

One by one as dead bodies fell.

Here is the only thing I

Can tell

As I fall to my death

With only smoke to smell,

All I could do was think about

A human’s choice.

My Secret Love Life

A pulse builds up in my heart

and it will not stop.

My face turns as red as a rose.

I don’t know why but this only occurs when I see you.

I feel so light headed as if I were a dove.

I wonder could this be

Love?