Never Clip My Wings

Amy Winehouse 1983-2011 The title is a reference to one of Amy's tattoos. [Thank you to Mark Cooper, BBC Music TV for a fine review of this talented singer/ song writer.]

Never Clip My Wings

Jazz made you;

and you made jazz your own.

From listening to the greats

had your own talent grown.

A unique singer

with a passion

to express,

who never ever

set out to impress.

Moulded as a one-off

you smouldered on the stage,

you set the world

on fire, with your

passion and your rage.

You wrote about your

weakness, your love

and all your pain,

you wrote about disasters

you wrote about your men.

You even wrote in bold tattoos

all across your skin,

where Blake had left his mark

to remind you of his sin.

You took the world by storm

but suffered for your art

and even with success

you never played the part.

And when love died for you,

you went Back to Black,

fell into a toxic world

depressed and on the wrack.

Frank and fresh but haunted,

you began to slide,

when those black dogs take you

there is no place to hide.

Gone eyes and skinny frame,

not quite present,

not the same,

distracted gestures

to the crowd

but still,

you left us feeling proud.

 

12/07/15

Author's Note

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

you always educate this old man ... :) i love the artist and song .. her voice and style is one i always appreciate .. and i can understand the words!!!

your poem indicates you have followed her career closely ... i had to google her to find out more .. including her first album Frank and her Back to Black in your tribute is intimate and shows much respect .. i do remember her now .. the news carried stories of her death ... so very tragic .. i also read that there is a movie ..will be looking for it ... hardly knowing her or her music i feel the loss through your poem .. so thank you for the education .. there is fine stuff on your pages ;)
E.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

You are most kind EN, many most humble thank yous.

[....................]

Such a wonderful tribute to a great talent...such a shame that she had to part so soon, with so much life ahead of her... those 'black dogs' have such a grip and even more so on the tortured mind... beautiful poetry, John...

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you FT. Watched a short programme this afternoon in which she is interviewed. It made tears well up to see and hear someone so beautiful and amazingly talented and know they died at age 28.

[....................]

I know, John...I watched her fall from grace and how she was pushed to perform even when she didn't have the 'strength' to go on... one of the saddest stories in music...

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Her music is already a legend though and she will live forever.