Local Lyrics hosted by Amber Renee appears on the 3rd Monday of each month. In it, Amber features the work and musings of a local poet.
Survivor’s Manifesto
Wanderlust Another word for flight risk Meaning I will not stay Where I do not belong
Meaning I was born in one place
& my soul in another Meaning all you gotta do is Make me question everything
all at once
and I’m out!
Let’s call it survival Let’s call it self-care Let’s call this
All in a day’s work Black Woman
Let’s call me Harriet’s granddaughter without The shot gun
II
Let’s consider the reality that I am not a runner Perhaps I am just the one that got away…
I choose to fly like a kite, I learned the difference Between escapism and escape
Fight? Flight? Freeze? or Appease? I chose the option that made me question God less
I swallowed my grief like an afternoon shot of whiskey Once I realized that the sting eventually wears off
You wanna fly? You gotta give up the shit that weighs you down
I suppose this is a poem about the ways that I will fly in the face of adversity and triumph
A poem about how the game Hide and Go Seek Is not just for children
I found myself broken and alone So, I turned the pieces of myself into a beautiful mosaic
See? Sometimes I wish there more was no more air in my lungs But I want someone to witness me for the first time and say
“Damn you can’t ignore that kind of passion” Because, “Damn you can’t ignore this kind of passion!”
Bitch, I will show you a motherfucker with passion But you gotta be willing to look up
the sun might be in your eyes
Courtney Gambrell:
Survivor’s Manifesto is a poem that I enjoyed writing because it was not easy to deliver and similarly, survival is not guaranteed to be an easy task. This poem is a testament to how I have chosen to confront adverse experiences. Survivor’s Manifesto highlights the necessity of finding safety even when getting to those safe places requires movement. With this in mind, I am elated that this poem wanted to honor Harriet Tubman, whose famous last words, “I have come to prepare a place for you,” are a perfect epigraph. (This quote is originally referenced in John 14:3). The magical part about this reality is that Mother Harriet and many ancestors like her have prepared these places for me and they have taught me how to be visible within such places. I am proud of how this poem channels the legacies of black women including Toni Morrison whose character states, “You wanna fly? You gotta give up the shit that weighs you down.” In every way, this poem begs us to acknowledge that survival is radical, necessary and beautiful.
Courtney is a West Philadelphia native who has continued to progress in the art of poetics since 2014. Her poem, "Black Matter," received an Honorable Mention from the Mad Poets Society poetry contest in 2015. As a poet, she is most concerned with self-healing which is her catalyst for writing. Courtney enjoys the organic nature of sharing experiences with her audience and using her creativity for advocacy. Her work has appeared in APIARY Magazine, As/Us Journal, For Harriet, Rag Queen Periodical, Whirlwind Magazine and elsewhere.
AMBER RENEE, she/her, 26, writes from her home in suburban Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A fool hopelessly in love with the pursuit of psychic knowledge, she often writes autobiographically; though without sacrificing her distinctive off-rhythm canter. 'Thoughts on This Most Recent Episode' was her 2016 full length collection of self-published poetry ruminating on her thoughts & illnesses. Currently she is working on a musical album of poetry.
