“Rooted in Reclamation”
(a collaborative poem written by students at the Montgomery Women’s Facility)
I come from a bold generation, proud and strong.
The strong-willed, but kind of heart.
the backwoods.
A bluff that carries a pine-scented breeze and
a small town with powerful people who can destroy your life.
I carry love.
The love of self, family, and love itself.
Through chaos and tragedy, I know a faith that moves mountains,
and music that tells stories.
Music that blares out the pain, distracts from reality.
Pure country. Old country.
when country wasn’t cool.
Rock N’ Roll, Heavy Metal, Gospel, 80’s Pop, R&B, and Otis Redding.
What I know going forward is that…
I will not use the words “I can’t.”
or allow the world to tell me
Who. I. Am.
I am not another statistic.
I don’t want to be miserable or mean.
To lie.
To go backwards.
To lose hope.
To be silenced.
I want to smile and stand tall.
To love harder and without abandon.
When I open my wings, I can fly
towards a brighter future.
A future where I do amazing things and
I believe that I am going to be okay.
Even better than okay, I will be great.
After all, one day I will go home and return to the dirt from which I came,
to my deep roots.
