ESTHER POPEL
Flag Salute
(Note: In a classroom in a Negro school a pupil gave as his news topic during the opening exercises of the morning, a report of the Princess Anne Lynching of October 18, 1933. A brief discussion of the facts of the case followed, after which the student in charge gave this direction: pupils, rise, and give the flag salute! They did so without hesitation!)
"I pledge allegiance to the flag"--
They dragged him naked
Through the muddy streets,
A feeble-minded black boy!
And the charge? Supposed assault
Upon an aged woman!
"Of the United States of America"--
One mile they dragged him
Like a sack of meal,
A rope around his neck,
A bloody ear
Left dangling by the patriotic hand
Of Nordic youth! (A boy of seventeen!)
"And to the Republic for which it stands"--
And then they hanged his body to a tree,
Below the window of the county judge
Whose pleadings for that battered human flesh
Were stifled by the brutish, raucous howls
Of men, and boys, and women with their babes,
Brought out to see the bloody spectacle
Of murder in the style of '33!
(Three thousand strong, they were!)
"One Nation, Indivisible"--
To make the tale complete
They built a fire--
What matters that the stuff they burned
Was flesh--and bone--and hair--
And reeking gasoline!
"With Liberty--and Justice"--
They cut the rope in bits
And passed them out,
For souvenirs, among the men and boys!
The teeth no doubt, on golden chains
Will hang
About the favored necks of sweethearts, wives,
And daughters, mothers, sisters, babies, too!
"For ALL!"
Blasphemy--American Style
Look, God,
We've got a nigger here
To burn;
A goddam nigger,
And we're goin' to plunge
His cringin' soul
To Hell!
Now watch him
Squirm and wriggle
While we swing him
From this tree!
And listen, God,
You'll laugh at this
I know--
He wants to pray
Before we stage
This show!
He's scared
And can't remember
What to say--
Imagine, God,
A nigger tryin'
To pray!
Lean over, God,
And listen while we tell
This fool
The words
He couldn't even
Spell!
"Our Father
Who art in Heaven,"
(Say it again!)
"Thy will be done
On earth . . ." (Laugh, God!)
"Amen!"
To Hell with him!
Come on, men,
Swing him high!
A prayin' rigger,
Golly--
Watch him die!
October Prayer
Change me, oh God,
Into a tree in autumn
And let my dying
Be a blaze of glory!
Drape me in a
Crimson, leafy gown,
And deck my soul
In dancing flakes of gold!
And then when Death
Comes by, and with his hands
Strips off my rustling garment
Let me stand
Before him, proud and naked,
Unashamed, uncaring,
All the strength in me revealed
Against the sky!
Oh, God
Make me an autumn tree
If I must die!
(Note: In a classroom in a Negro school a pupil gave as his news topic during the opening exercises of the morning, a report of the Princess Anne Lynching of October 18, 1933. A brief discussion of the facts of the case followed, after which the student in charge gave this direction: pupils, rise, and give the flag salute! They did so without hesitation!)
"I pledge allegiance to the flag"--
They dragged him naked
Through the muddy streets,
A feeble-minded black boy!
And the charge? Supposed assault
Upon an aged woman!
"Of the United States of America"--
One mile they dragged him
Like a sack of meal,
A rope around his neck,
A bloody ear
Left dangling by the patriotic hand
Of Nordic youth! (A boy of seventeen!)
"And to the Republic for which it stands"--
And then they hanged his body to a tree,
Below the window of the county judge
Whose pleadings for that battered human flesh
Were stifled by the brutish, raucous howls
Of men, and boys, and women with their babes,
Brought out to see the bloody spectacle
Of murder in the style of '33!
(Three thousand strong, they were!)
"One Nation, Indivisible"--
To make the tale complete
They built a fire--
What matters that the stuff they burned
Was flesh--and bone--and hair--
And reeking gasoline!
"With Liberty--and Justice"--
They cut the rope in bits
And passed them out,
For souvenirs, among the men and boys!
The teeth no doubt, on golden chains
Will hang
About the favored necks of sweethearts, wives,
And daughters, mothers, sisters, babies, too!
"For ALL!"
Blasphemy--American Style
Look, God,
We've got a nigger here
To burn;
A goddam nigger,
And we're goin' to plunge
His cringin' soul
To Hell!
Now watch him
Squirm and wriggle
While we swing him
From this tree!
And listen, God,
You'll laugh at this
I know--
He wants to pray
Before we stage
This show!
He's scared
And can't remember
What to say--
Imagine, God,
A nigger tryin'
To pray!
Lean over, God,
And listen while we tell
This fool
The words
He couldn't even
Spell!
"Our Father
Who art in Heaven,"
(Say it again!)
"Thy will be done
On earth . . ." (Laugh, God!)
"Amen!"
To Hell with him!
Come on, men,
Swing him high!
A prayin' rigger,
Golly--
Watch him die!
October Prayer
Change me, oh God,
Into a tree in autumn
And let my dying
Be a blaze of glory!
Drape me in a
Crimson, leafy gown,
And deck my soul
In dancing flakes of gold!
And then when Death
Comes by, and with his hands
Strips off my rustling garment
Let me stand
Before him, proud and naked,
Unashamed, uncaring,
All the strength in me revealed
Against the sky!
Oh, God
Make me an autumn tree
If I must die!
posted by OceanMakes KMT Spa at 6:43 PM
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