From the Fishouse

“Pastoral scene of the gallant south…”
-Billie Holiday (Strange Fruit)

Byron de la Beckwith

Sometimes it starts with a bonfire
or begins with taunting and spitting

quickly graduating to cursing and
punching and kicking some

body as hard as you can
for the sheer joy of causing them pain

as entertainment for the crowd now
celebrating the crack or pop of broken

bodies, showering outstanding individual
violence with applause and cheers.

All you need is some body wearing
the color you’ve been taught to hate

some body threatening to take
what’s rightfully yours

and a little girl with her thighs exposed
held high in the air and screaming.