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dirty south moon
- Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism
- Indiana University Press
- Volume 6, Number 1, 2005
- pp. 56-57
- 10.1353/mer.2005.0023
- Article
- Additional Information
Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism 6.1 (2005) 56-57
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Dirty South Moon1
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
brothers . . .
she is
rounder than the moon
and far more faithful.
the moon is here the moon
don't believe the sun arriving for its own sake
thrall of nostalgia beatingout out spot of moon don't believe the sun
or the tattoo of beauty childhood tableau
thrall of nostalgia beating white dress on a clotheslinebeauty's tattoo childhood tableau meaning of dirt
clapboard church white dress on a clothesline
swaying in obligatory side to sidedon't believe in dirt clapboard church believe a southern moon
believe in this swaying from side to side
necklace of woman's bodysouthern moon toomer's tune truth of billie's tree
believe the necklace of a woman's body that heavens
should be raining stillthat billie's tree sings truth that a phrase is draped
at the wood's throat heavens should be raining still
knife opening her from side to side [End Page 56]this phrase draped at the wood's throat falling child starts
stops crying knife unlocking its mother
no staring at her face her name is marychild falling out who stops crying stomped upon
by men swelled pale with their lies no blink of its eyes
no staring at its mother's face no bewilderment at first light whochild nothing holy said no prayers over the dead tree
no new creatures flying bewildered at first light who
only old bluesnothing holy you can't hear nobody pray brother
your sister hung here hangs sister you know old blues
night till morning don't you refuse her don't commit an old sinwhen that is your sister hanging there she is
twisting dying for ham's supposed sin
think of songs on your dancing tonguetwisting
have you not begged God a familiar have you not sent
words dancing sung songs spontaneous then forgotthat sister's hands begging fire not for your own salvation
not for songs spontaneous used look
the moon look look here
Endnote
1. Mary Turner of Brooks County, Georgia, was eight months pregnant when she was lynched by a white mob in 1918. Her husband, Hayes, had been lynched by the same mob the previous day.
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