By: Staff Writer
November 28, 2025
A Grenadian poet describes her journey from “rock bottom,” due to marriage failure and subsequent abuse to going back to school and finding her herself in poetry after being reenergized by placing third in the Caribbean Magazine Plus 2024 Poetry Contest.
Jazell Walker-Franklyn, an aspiring author and poet, told Caribbean Magazine Plus that her new book of poetry, “Cries of the pain within,” is from a place of reminiscing on the time she had to pull herself back from the pain and rejection of a failed marriage while taking care of three children.
She noted: “Well this started with me writing in my note pad on the phone, then I realized I had a few pieces so decided to put it all in one place so saved it on the laptop so I could just continue.
“The thought ran through my mind about actually doing a chapbook or something but as I said the lack of confidence.”
Her confidence was stolen from her after a failed marriage and subsequent abuse. Between that she found the 2024 CMP Poetry Contest and placed second. Something she still cherishes as uplifting her spirits and confidence to keep on pursuing their hobby that is now becoming a passion.
She also said about her estranged husband: “My husband and I met in high school and has been together for some 20 years. We had our first daughter when I was only 17. Basically, I had three children by the age of 21 you know, having children so young, I had to give up studies. I went to work instead. I did start to study with Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, but due to the high cost and then managing the cost of living, I had to put it on hold.
“Along the way, I taught myself by reading a lot, free, online courses, workshops, basically any opportunity to upload for myself. After 10 years, we got married and built our home.
“We were young and already had three dependents, so it wasn’t easy in getting a mortgage. It was basically salary to salary, along with small loans, we made it.
“Working got me hands on experience and I was continuously teaching myself. I got to advance in my career. I got to a point where my work spoke for itself, even though I didn’t have the big degree.”
Then disaster struck for Jazell in 2023 when, “there was infidelity in the marriage and my husband left. This was the point in my life when I literally hit rock bottom. He was my everything, my only relationship, my only love. And there was around that time when I entered the CMP 2024 Poetry Competition. It was a time when I managed to pull myself together and started investing in myself.
She continued: “I went back to school, I went in prayer, and we ended up reconciling in last September. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, because behaviour didn’t change, and things took a huge turn early this year.
“In March, I was abused and I sustained injuries, which was reported to the police, so he was arrested and spent a night in a cell.
“For that he got mad and left us again, and I was still praying, still hoping for change, offered counselling, to go to church, but everything I tried, he refused.
“The months passed and we had court dates, which it just dragged on and dragged on. And in July of this year, he got sick. And of course, I was there, and it was at that point I thought we were okay, because we came to an agreement, we made plans for the future.
“I thought, okay, life had this happen to him. And, you know, seeing life flash before you, in a sense, I thought at that point he would have turned around, and in less than a month, he hooked up with yet another woman, and this time bold enough to pursue a full, open relationship.
“So of course, this blood, stress, heartbreak, pain, to drive not just me, but to our children.
“He’s left me without any other choice but to let go and move on, force me to file for the divorce and to request child maintenance. And right now, I’m working two jobs, taking care of four children, studying for my Master’s degree, all going at the same time I’m battling illness. So, my illness has been an ongoing battle for many years, and due to a lack of testing available in Grenada, we’re yet to reach a diagnosis. The added stress, obviously, isn’t making it easy. It’s taking a physical as well as mental toll on me.
“Hence the different pieces of what I’ve been going through, many parts I left out as I haven’t really been open about being abused physically and emotionally.”
The book is not yet available on Amazon or in the book stores yet, but Jazell said within the next three months she would have had it professionally edited and available for universal consumption.