It’s quite amazing
How you made
Others feel
The passion in your music
Your gratuitous samples
Of heartfelt soul
Was like an interjection
From a long difficult day
The respect I give
To your voice and words
Only to a queen
On a throne that was supported
By devotion
And her timeless music
The pain made you cry
Its story made you
Fly into an arena of
Pop soul and rock
In which you excelled
To insure
Even through the toils
Of life you can still
Be a natural woman
I have to be frank and honest
Without the beauty of your sound
That resonated through you
All these years
A lot of singers and musician
Would even have the chance
Today to be very successful
Because you inspired artist
To be who they are
Without compromising
It was okay for us to be activist’s
And humanitarian’s
Even if we suffered abuse
Earlier in our lives
She was a fortified voice
On stage and off
That shared her gift first in church
Because her vocals were incomparable
Her playing of the piano
Was by only ear
She demanded the stage
This is why her legacy will
Never fade
Unforgettable artist of this age
Aretha Franklin you raised the bar
Your triumphs and talents you left behind
Is now shimmering over
Us like a star
By Deon Souldier Ballard
Enjoyed the tribute to an artist I’ve loved since her early days in the 60’s
thank you for reading