Escape Can Be Forever
Authentic, unapologetic
Manic-depressive, chose Meth over meds
Yowling cat-scratch vocals
Wound-up top
Inviting us for a spin
Next to none, under your skin
Energetic, enigmatic
House-high beehive
Outrageous, bawdy “bad girl”
Undulating at the mic
Soul singer to the end
Everlasting, never built to last… Amy Winehouse
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
NOTE: For ABC Wednesday, took longer to complete than I imagined, but wanted to get it right. Amy Winehouse’s legacy is not just her incredible music. She serves as a symbol of the confusion between addiction and mental illness. It’s true that many times, as with my own mother, people who need other help self-medicate… the difference is, Amy was DIAGNOSED as manic-depressive (bipolar) and refused to take prescribed medicine or stick with therapists.
To say she was an addict and post “Just say no” on FaceBook does a great disservice to many people who might see themselves in Amy’s downward spiral and possibly seek medical help. As a person living with manic depression and PTSD, I wanted this message to go out to as many folks as possible.
Also posted at Poets United. RIP, Amy Winehouse, and peace to her family and fans, Amy Barlow Liberatore
Sharp Little Pencil 