Youth Zine
Felicia Flames Tribute Poem
By De’Ahevon J
Jun 21, 2023
I am a woman
I am a force
I am powerful
I am unforgettable
I am the past, and I will be the future
I am the phoenix that rose from your flames
I came from you
Born of your desires
Fed on by your expectations
I am a woman
I want you to see me as you see yourself
But you see me through your broken mirror
Your life is not my own
And I can not stand still for standing on my own
I am a force
I don’t’ want your biases
I don’t want your thoughts and prayers
But you think there is beauty in this madness
I am powerful
All I want is for you to admire me
I want to be revered for standing in my truth
But the ground we walk on is different by design
See the difference between yours and mine is that
I am in quicksand and you are on dry land
I am unforgettable
I fight with all my might just to keep my pinky dry
You prance along and stare at the night sky
Yet I am left wondering why
I am the past, and I will be the future
I am not sad because I had to be the first
I am not angry because I had to fight off your grandfather with my purse
I am not bitter because I was ill treated by your society
I am the phoenix that rose from your flames
I will fight
For what is my right
To be a human
I am to be loved, adored and respected
I am to be loved like there is no tomorrow
A conversation shouldn’t end without the words leaving your lips
Loved like the memories you replay in your head before you go to sleep
Love me the way you love yourself
Giving kindness and grace with every step you take
I want a love that runs deeper than the ocean
I want a love that is unshakable
Love that doesn’t run when minds don’t align
Never ending love
A new found love
I want to be adored
When I speak I want you to ask me for more
Hanging on to each and every word
Look at me and see every part of me
See that I’m more
More than the labels, my body, and my skin
I am my thoughts, my opinions, my environment
I am who I was designed to be
I want to be respected
I don’t want it to go undetected
That you stand with me in solidarity
In who I choose to be
I want you to see me
For everything I am, and nothing you want me to be
Dance in the flames with me
XOXO, Felicia