Where the strange fruit grows

WHERE THE STRANGE FRUIT GROWS

by ROGER SATNARINE in 2015 (based on a poem by Abe Meeropol in 1939)

Home of the brave and land of the FREE

Are these words still popular with the strange fruit that swung from a POPLAR TREE

Black men women and children their necks snapped at the end of a NOOSE

yet today prejudice and hatred is still very much on the LOOSE

This is an historic fact of our COUNTRY'S TIME

and now just like all those years ago these new-old sounds of prejudice come from a different CHIME

It resonates with the blare of sirens coming to protect us we are TOLD

but to everyone’s surprise the innocent dies from an unlawful CHOKE-HOLD

The worst hate crimes are done by those who PROTECT AND SERVE

We elected them is this what we then DESERVE

Weird watermelon colored collard greens those fiends for fried CHICKENS

slant eyed rice lovers and bean mashers yes the strange fruit pot and plot THICKENS

Fear comes from what we do not UNDERSTAND

Is it wise to live with ignorance rather than extend a PEACEFUL HAND

Black white yellow or BROWN reverse discrimination happens in every TOWN

Native Americans from the East were forced marched to reservations in the WEST

The Trail of Tears it was known as but history claims it was for the BEST

African Amerikkkan slaves got it WORST

We gained freedom from British tyranny and developed an insatiable industrialized THIRST We needed to grow and vastly EXPAND achieving it by hate filled whips across BLACK BACKS from a WHITE HAND

Eli Whitney invented the COTTON GIN no other device in history has contributed more to such an EVIL SIN

Slaves beaten into submission for free LABOR the women and children raped by their owners then murdered when they go into LABOR

Drafted soldiers returning from VIETNAM

baby killers we called them who deep fried children with our falling NAPALM

Black soldiers suffered MOST returning home to a war raging against racism this new battle became their IN-COUNTRY OUTPOST

We now bash and murder people for whom they freely choose to LOVE

Does God judge same sex marriage from ABOVE

The seeds of domestic violence have been deeply SOWN

causing us to hurt OUR VERY OWN!

A country divided will fall drop to her KNEES

and those bloody tears will grow the dreaded "POPLAR TREES"

We will all then swing from a mutual LIMB

History has proven this it's the facts not just me being GRIM

So my beloved country these UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

standing united should now become our main AGENDA

Let us lead by example and start the change for THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS

that in its own backyard is WHERE THE "STRANGE FRUIT” GROWS!!!!!!

END

Original Poem by:

Abe Meeropol , Strange Fruit, (1939)

Southern trees bear a strange fruit,

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,

Black body swinging in the Southern breeze,

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

Pastoral scene of the gallant South,

The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,

Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh,

And the sudden smell of burning 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 a tree to drop,

Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Research Links:

http://spartacus-educational.com/USACstrangefruit.htm (follow instructions to the closest match)

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/strangefruit/film.html (follow instructions to the closest match)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/16/protest-songs-billie-holiday-strange-fruit

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/m/margolick-fruit.html?TB_iframe=true&height=921.6&width=921.6