After Audre
by Nicole Young-Martin
To the little girl who grew up
To be invincible in a world
That deems her invisible.
To the toddler who once leveled
With stones who will soon look
Beyond the horizon as she reaches
Towards the sky.
To the tween who stepped into their fierceness
While acknowledging their fears.
To the once little girl
Who broke through other’s truths to discover their own destiny.
To the one who discovered her prowess
Before she sought her wealth.
To the one who, with ambition,
Wears awkward as an award.
For those of us who continue to persists;
Aspiring for higher, even at the disdain of those
with only doubts, apprehensions and assumptions.
For those of US...
As we meet her with intention,
May we greet them with conviction.
May we only open doors for her that will lead her on the path.
A blueprint of glee, prosperity, pleasures, victories, beauty and peace.
Dr. Nicole Young-Martin is a performer, poet, playwright, educator, and host/producer of the award-winning podcast, Black Writers Read. Her work has been featured in Meat for Tea, Conneticut Bard's Poetry Review, Easthampton City Voices and other spaces. Nicole teaches writing composition, theatre, and arts management at several colleges and universities in New England. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Nicole currently resides in Connecticut.