Billie Holiday
—Public Domain Photo
you can say that again, billie
—Evie Shockley
southern women serve strife keep lines of pride open
trees are not taller than these broad vessels femmes who
bear fully armored knights clinking from the womb but
a night in whining ardor means black woman compelled how
strange brown vassal on a bed of green needles ingests the
fruit of georgia let that gestate but be-gets no child of the south
blood tells the story do you salute old gory were you born
on a white horse or a black ass everything depends upon
the way your rusty lifeflow writes sutpenmanship if it
leaves blond scribbled across your scalp hurray
and blue inscribed in your eyes praise the cause your literary
blood wins the gene pool it’s a prize hide your mama baby
at worst you’re a breast-seller compelling octorune but
the best cellars are dark and earthy humid places where fears take
root and grow up to be cowboys yee-haw
______________________
Today’s poem by Evie Shockley is in celebration of Black History Month. For episodes of NPR’s "Poetry in America", including an exploration of this poem, go to video.wgcu.org/video/you-can-say-that-again-billie-by-evie-shockley-jpvgu9/. Note that Shockley’s poem is an acrostic (read the first word of each line, going down) built on the first two lines of the Billie Holiday song, “Strange Fruit” (www.history.com/news/billie-holiday-strange-fruit-lynchings AND/OR www.biography.com/musician/billie-holiday?li_source=LI&li_medium=m2m-rcw-history/).
Today (2/20), 3pm, Poets Club of Lincoln presents James Shuman, poet and current chair of the editorial board of Song of the San Joaquin, and author of the chapbook, Family Album (2018). Open mic will follow. Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/j/87466015982 (Meeting ID: 874 6601 5982; Passcode: 766105). Host: David Anderson.
_______________________
—Medusa
—Evie Shockley
southern women serve strife keep lines of pride open
trees are not taller than these broad vessels femmes who
bear fully armored knights clinking from the womb but
a night in whining ardor means black woman compelled how
strange brown vassal on a bed of green needles ingests the
fruit of georgia let that gestate but be-gets no child of the south
blood tells the story do you salute old gory were you born
on a white horse or a black ass everything depends upon
the way your rusty lifeflow writes sutpenmanship if it
leaves blond scribbled across your scalp hurray
and blue inscribed in your eyes praise the cause your literary
blood wins the gene pool it’s a prize hide your mama baby
at worst you’re a breast-seller compelling octorune but
the best cellars are dark and earthy humid places where fears take
root and grow up to be cowboys yee-haw
______________________
Today’s poem by Evie Shockley is in celebration of Black History Month. For episodes of NPR’s "Poetry in America", including an exploration of this poem, go to video.wgcu.org/video/you-can-say-that-again-billie-by-evie-shockley-jpvgu9/. Note that Shockley’s poem is an acrostic (read the first word of each line, going down) built on the first two lines of the Billie Holiday song, “Strange Fruit” (www.history.com/news/billie-holiday-strange-fruit-lynchings AND/OR www.biography.com/musician/billie-holiday?li_source=LI&li_medium=m2m-rcw-history/).
Today (2/20), 3pm, Poets Club of Lincoln presents James Shuman, poet and current chair of the editorial board of Song of the San Joaquin, and author of the chapbook, Family Album (2018). Open mic will follow. Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/j/87466015982 (Meeting ID: 874 6601 5982; Passcode: 766105). Host: David Anderson.
_______________________
—Medusa
—Public Domain Photo
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