Last updated on December 9, 2022
SHANIA
before
she was
a superstar
writing and singing
her own
signature songs
she was
just a 10-year-old child
living in poverty
suffering at the hands
of her step-dad
who abused her
in every way
imaginable
she wasn’t just struggling
to find food
but a way to cope
day to day
living with a volcanic step-dad
an abused mother
and sisters that looked to her
for mothering
it was the magic of music
that swept her away
and saved her
and gave her
another life
to live
one she dreamt of
and prayed for
and worked for
sacrificed for
she’s strong
not because she chose
to be
but because
she had no other
choice
but to be
a songbird
in the dead
of winter
singing
to the trees
to the drunks in bars
to the people who paid
to the strangers from town to town
city to city
country to country
stage to stage
‘til she made it
to the Hall of Fame
where great songwriters
get to go
and be remembered
for the gifts they gave
away
TL