JEREL BRANCH AND HIS BOOK OF POEMS
A Nottoway County man, who dropped out of high school after 10th grade, has published a book of poetry.
“Tears of a Lion” includes 28 pages of short poems by Jerel Branch of East Carolina Avenue in Crewe. It’s available on Amazon and Walmart websites.
Branch, 36, would have been a member of the Class of 2007 and said school “just wasn’t for me.”
But he says God gave him a vivid imagination and the gift of creativity. “At a very young age, I always knew that there was something unique about me. I’ve always been a dreamer, and would use my imagination to create stories.”
Branch fondly recalls winning a school poetry contest in 7th grade.
Branch has endured pain in his life. He said his father, John Edward Stokes, Jr., was fatally stabbed in Prospect in 1993. He was raised by his grandmother, Daisy Stokes and grandfather, John Edward Stokes of Rice.
“My greatest thoughts would come to me by being alone. Having no friends around led me to use my imagination. I would write stories, pretending that I have family, which led me to know that I was destined to be a writer.”
Branch said his mother, Deloris Branch of Crewe, is among the inspirations behind his book, which includes a wide variety of poems.
If God Looks Like Me reads, in part, “If God looks like me, what would you do? Would you still love Him if His eyes weren’t blue? If God looks like me, would you even care, if His skin was like mine and He had nappy hair?”
Branch stays busy raising his four-year-old son and three-year-old daughter and “doing the best that I can.”
Branch is a proud Scorpio who shares the same birthday as his mother — Halloween.
Branch calls his book “an intimate journey through my life, chronicling the trials, triumphs, and profound lessons I’ve encountered. Just like the mighty lion, I’ve faced adversity with unwavering strength — concealing inner turmoil behind a facade of resilience. This book unveils the raw emotions and vulnerabilities I’ve guarded for so long, inviting readers to see beyond the surface and judge me by the depth of my heart and soul.”
“Never be discouraged,” Branch offers, “and always believe in yourself — no matter how difficult the situation may be.”
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