For Tina Turner— A Poem for the Queen of Rock ‘N Roll

Tina Turner.

We turned to her
for soul, for song,
for blues singing,
for bringing it every
single time.

A thought. A lyric. A line.

Dancing electric on stage.

Dancing, turning another page,
another chapter, in her amazing
life.

Life was Tina. Alive was Tina.
Who was filled with more life
than Tina?

Poor girl from Tennessee
becomes everything she
dreamed to be.

Black woman on fire.

Woman on fire.

A woman who
refused to retire.

She escaped abuse,
domestic violence,
then was not silent
about the pain it
causes.

We mourn Tina
but we celebrate
her spirit, how much
she was gifted, how
she entertained so
exquisitely.

She asked, “Who needs
a heart when a heart
can be broken?”

Lyrics powerful, so golden.

She is dancing into
the next life. She is
singing into the afterlife.

In the future, she is
a phenomenon on stage,
on the mic.

The forever Queen of Rock ‘N Roll
whose story will always be
inspiring, uplifting, encouraging,
told.