Photo: Gum Tree, Cape Town South Africa
Since I decided to create my blog, I haven’t really thought too much about who my target audience is or if there is a common (desired) theme to my blog. I’ve taken it week by week and posted as my heart desires. But this week as I was reading for class, I realized that it would be socially irresponsible of me to not post about current events, social justice issues, issues that affect me and/or my surrounding community (surrounding meaning this world). Last week I posted a clip from “Wolf.” This week I am posting the words to “Strange Fruit.” Most/many are familiar with the rendition by Billie Holiday.
This came about as I was reading “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” for class. If you have a moment, pick it up. Here you go:
Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves, ad blood at the root
Black bodies swingin’ in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin’ eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin’ flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop