Love Poem for Annie Lennox
By Amanda Hawk
April 15, 2026
April 15, 2026
Sweet dreams are made of this
red lips and buzzed orange hair,
a woman in a dark business suit and slim gray tie
black leather gloves cup the microphone
so close to
her red lips.
a woman in a dark business suit and slim gray tie
black leather gloves cup the microphone
so close to
her red lips.
Tell me, who’s that girl
she creates a wand out of the stand,
and swirls around the spell of her voice
into rich contralto spirits to haunt my ears
at seven years old, I fall through the television
into her MTV wonderland.
and swirls around the spell of her voice
into rich contralto spirits to haunt my ears
at seven years old, I fall through the television
into her MTV wonderland.
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
Falling on my head like a new emotion
Every car ride, I slip in the cassette tape
with Annie in a mask and holding a heart in her palm.
her voice echoes within the car
collects in my veins
as a new soundtrack.
with Annie in a mask and holding a heart in her palm.
her voice echoes within the car
collects in my veins
as a new soundtrack.
And they’re playing with my heart
You know the lead singer is a woman
says my babysitter as they unzip my wonder
and change the channel
to another cotton taffeta inspired soap opera.
They leave me on the living room floor
to play with my questions, shame
and hesitation.
says my babysitter as they unzip my wonder
and change the channel
to another cotton taffeta inspired soap opera.
They leave me on the living room floor
to play with my questions, shame
and hesitation.
To run away from you
Was all that I could do
Was all that I could do
The first boy I like was tall, lanky-
all blue eyes, charming smile
and schoolyard bully who pulls my hair
and steals my bounce ball at recess.
I chase after him until I fall upon the hard blacktop
skinned knees,
palms bloody.
all blue eyes, charming smile
and schoolyard bully who pulls my hair
and steals my bounce ball at recess.
I chase after him until I fall upon the hard blacktop
skinned knees,
palms bloody.
I was borne from original sin
I find my mother’s Eurythmics tape
crammed in the back of the tape holder.
Annie Lennox on the cover
with her mask and beating heart,
holding it out for me to touch.
She is the first thing
I stole from my mother.
crammed in the back of the tape holder.
Annie Lennox on the cover
with her mask and beating heart,
holding it out for me to touch.
She is the first thing
I stole from my mother.
I don’t love you anymore
I don’t think I ever did
I don’t think I ever did
She is my first crush;
androgynous in red lips and dark suit.
Her gloved hands on the whip of her microphone cord.
She sings commands and I put her on repeat, over and over.
As the power in her voice,
hums through my headphones
into my blood.
androgynous in red lips and dark suit.
Her gloved hands on the whip of her microphone cord.
She sings commands and I put her on repeat, over and over.
As the power in her voice,
hums through my headphones
into my blood.
Sweet dreams are made of this.
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Amanda Hawk has been nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize for her poetry. She has enjoyed writing since she was a little girl, and started getting work published while in college. Now in her later years, she lives in Seattle near roaring planes and enjoys spending her nights under the neon lights. Amanda has poetry published in multiple journals including Ink in Thirds, Rogue Agent and Palindrome Journal. Also, she has horror short stories featured in the 2024 Seattle Crypticon anthology and Belladonna’s Garden literary journal.
Instagram: @amandahawkpoetry
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Author’s Note:
“Love Song for Annie Lennox” was part of a series of poems that paid homage to my childhood in the 1980s-1990s. Annie Lennox with her short bright red hair and the music videos of the Eurythmics were one of the main images that came into my mind. I fell in love with “Here Comes the Rain Again” and soon after “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” I would spend my childhood taking my mother’s tapes and listen to them in my Walkman. Later in life, I realized I enjoy her fierceness and the power in her voice. She was my first inspiration to push boundaries. I still find myself drawn to her music when I am writing and creating.