Tasting Bitter Fruit
Billie have you dreamt the dream, did you see
Magnolia blossoms turning black in smoke
The black man hanging from the poplar tree?
From smoky bar rooms your rough harmony
Echoed rhythms of the dark words you spoke
Billie have you dreamt the dream, did you see
A gallant South burning in anomie
Tasting the bitter fruit that made you choke?
The black man hanging from the poplar tree.
Through car windows you watched the agony
Then with your voice the silent ghost awoke
Billie have you dreamt the dream, did you see
Dark crowded tables heard of destiny
Where black man felt the savage, deadly stroke.
Billie have you dreamt the dream, did you see
The black man hanging from the poplar tree?
Author notes
Strange Fruit
A contest entry
- If There's a Rock and Roll Heaven... by Evening Star.
300 points, ended April 12, 2006, 10 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Form Contest! [contest] by rainwalker.
450 points, ended December 25, 2006, 25 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Billie Holiday Inspiration by Kari.
600 points, ended June 10, 2008, 7 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 13 of 13
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This was really deep. Thanks for your entry
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very nice
Good rhyme, flow and form.
Thank you for entering and have a very Merry Christmas!
~Laura
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Thank you so much for entering this wonderful tribute.
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Great tribute to your Billie.. very popular he was in his days you did a wonderful penning of him.. Pj's
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A very moving piece. It could almost be a bluesy song in itself.
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very good
a very interesting peice thank you for sharing this it is a lovely write for a great artist,keep up the good work there are so many that we were spoilt for choice but I do like this one . -
Most Excellent!
For some reason your line: "Tasting the bitter fruit that made you choke?" really stirred up images and transported me to a very different kind of place and time. -
Exhilarating and there's a sudden tone of sensation in this poem. You've captured a forgotten eye's path of the past and present in it's simplest form. Superb piece.
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This was just absolutely a very amazing piece. You did wonderful at rhyming but not rhyming too much where it ends up annoying the reader. Very good job, I enjoyed reading this. Good luck in the contest,
Miseria -
Wow! I love the rhyming scheme! Admittedly it took me quite a few reads to get the hang on how to read it in my head, but thats my stupidity, not the fault of yourself! Great poem , well done
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Billie Holiday is so interesting and intriguing just like this piece of writing and poetry. The way in which it is a homage but also a stand alone piece is very good. Tony.
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"Dark crowded tables heard of destiny" that is an awesome line.
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Very nice, awesome form that really works in this piece. cake
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