by Richard Oxman

Mideast breeze bears strange fruit
Blood for the news
Rotten at the root
Dark bodies planted in deserted pews
Deranged fruit squashed for the few
Who bloom just fine destroying the South
With bulging eyes and a twisted mouth
Smelling the *green* sweet, enmeshed
With spoiled yield made of flesh
Despoiled product for just fools to pluck
for our pain to gather
to say *no more muck*
for children to rot
abominations to stop
Along with *profit* from this bitter crop

—–

**Special note:** Oxman can be reached dueleft@yahoo.com. Those interested can take a look at …which has [a rundown of the original "Strange Fruit"](http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/14/1350258 “rundown of the original”) composed by Abel Meeropol (aka Lewis Allan), a classic Billie Holiday song. Oxman’s lyrics aren’t for recitation whilst marching down Fifth Avenue, but rather…to encourage more severe action, the use of…new syntax. As per his writing at [www.oxtogrind.org](http://www.oxtogrind.org). It’s really too bad that so few see the token quality associated with the recent resolution of senatorial…apology. [1] As we force more black bodies to blacken fruit overseas, planting poisonous trees. Long live lynching?

Deeply Felt Footnote:

[1] I highly recommend the [Democracy Now! segment](http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/14/1350253 “Democracy Now! segment”) for anyone who has trouble seeing the “profit” alluded to in the final line of my work here. Guests on Amy Goodman’s show do a fine job of a) drawing parallels with our prison system and b) underscoring the sociological/financial significance of our recent past…for blacks and others. Parallels with aspects of our present military recruitment should be obvious.