A POWERFUL WOMAN: DIANE WADE
Ooooh, ain’t it funny how insecurities of some come out
When they run into a powerful Black woman with clout
Powerful woman don’t take no mess
She never says no when she really means yes
Powerful woman tap into their power
A lady with influence is today’s woman of the hour
Let’s talk about the way she walked
Let’s talk about the way she dressed
She had the power to stop you cold!
With just the snap of her neck!
Her skin was black smooth liked mahogany
She made me feel powerful too by the way she talked to me
She had attitude, love, discipline and respect
She never was predictable who knew what she’d do next
Diane Wade, wade in the water float thru our mind
Take a minute to think about the way she spent her time
She came into the prison to see us and dared us to dream!
She told us nothing was impossible or as bad as it seemed!
Her biggest message to women was to love yourself!
But most of us was stuck on an easy to make our wealth
She would say; if you lived right, right would come to you
And one day I hope to see if her words were really true.

 She said a woman’s spirit just aint complete
Until she obtains that necessary self esteem

Diane made me cry and yeah she made me mad
There were times we disagreed, times when I got sad
She said “if I didn’t care I wouldn’t be so hard on you”!
And her words would pierce my soul Cuz I knew her words were true!
She would not want her AAP girls to forget we have a choice!
She didn’t teach us to tap into our power to forget we have a voice!
She was a powerful woman! I still feel her here!
We can sit around and honor her, with our tears
Or we can stand up!! And be the women she wanted us to be!
We too, can be powerful we too can be free!!
Not just outside of prisons doors but outside of prison mind!
So we say; thank You Diane Thank you for your time
Thank you for being powerful and empowering others
Thank you for keeping the care of your sisters and brothers
Ooooh ain’t if funny how a powerful woman Goes beyond and above!
To empower, to teach, to listen, to and to spread her love

Written by Onesha Cochran 14063093 in “2010
An Inmate in Coffee Creek Correctional Center
And a member of Multnomah County AAP Program