Our Town Poetry: ‘Life in Spokane’ by Bethany Montgomery
Spokane
Spoken
Eyes wide open
To infinite possibilities
Fueling my dreams
With the endless amounts of scenes
Whether I’m playing in the trees
Or running around in a jungle of concrete
Going on hikes at Bowl and Pitcher
To embrace the bigger picture
When looking at the river
The experience is as metaphorical
as when I look myself in the mirror
Sometimes I feel as though
I am a fish swimming against the current
Fighting oppression, discrimination, and preconceived judgments
Being told that Spokane is not a good place to start a poetry movement
But for me
Spokane has become a solution
See I choose to tap-in
Into the potential of Spokane
Many think Spo-can’t
But I believe Spo-can
There is opportunity in this community
And I have a chance to be a major influence
Yes
I am met with opposition
Which does not stop my progression
I am here to instill culture diversity and inclusion
Power 2 the Poetry
It is more than a movement
It is a way to prove that Spokane is different
That in Spokane you can be respected even if you have a difference of opinion
That in Spokane you won’t be discriminated against because of the color of you skin
That in Spokane it is OK to be openly lesbian
That in Spokane there is absolute equality and people don’t worry about Pedigree
That in Spokane I can unapologetically be me
That in Spokane everyone can be who they want to be
You see this Spokane is not a real thing
This Spokane is still a dream
But I do believe that dreams come true
So if you truly support what I say
then you must realize that you
are the key to Spokane’s breakthrough
We all deserve to live our best life
Power 2 the Poetry
Bethany Montgomery is co-founder of the Power 2 the Poetry movement in Spokane. She received her Masters in Business Administration from Eastern Washington University in 2017. In honor of National Poetry Month, The Spokesman-Review is publishing local reader poems. The American Life in Poetry column will return in May.