Maple tree, have you ever hang a body before?

 Maple tree have you ever hang a body before?

Maple tree, have you ever hang a body before? 

Not the maple tree at my house 

But the other maple trees somewhere in the way

Down down south 

Do you have to hang bodies? Bodies that look like mine 

Melaninated, poppin in the sun?

How many of you carry our blood?

How many of you tightened our necks?

How many of you?

I wonder, you grow maples 

But not kill innocent lives…

You were force by mobs, by downtown mobs

By citizen mobs..

You witness the burnin…you heard voices like help

This is the most haunted thing you ever see…

You were present…

Now you see 

You keep holdin the black ghosts into 

Your limbs, silence is your centuries long

Eulogy….

You wish you can talk and explain the scenes 

Of the white folks did to black folks…

In your tree souls you feel hurt…

Even today 

All the trees and poles still hangin bodies 

On the downlow…they ain’t on the mainstream 

I’m not surprised at the classify whiteness….

I will never be surprised…

Cos maple tree, 

This is a country we live in and still hang black bodies 

Like wet clothin…we’re not wet clothin…

We’re not a noose….

We’re human beings….

We’re people…

Not America 

We’re criminals 

We’re animals 

We’re stupid 

We’re not civilized…

And to a maple tree out there 

Somewhere in the world 

Or USA 

Wherever 

You are…

Do you feel guilty?

If only you could speak 

If only you can have hands to write a poem back to me

I’m not takin to all the maple trees

Some, most….

There are different trees that lynched 

A brother a sister a child…

And it’s not just trees…there are poles and bridges

Even top wires where the birds sit….

It’s why I asked a maple tree,

A maple tree 

Not the one that is next to my window 

But the other maple trees crossed country 

If only you had a voice 

Would you tell me a story about a lynchin

Long ago?  It’s history…

People need to know this…

I wanna share your story 

I wanna share your eulogy about how 

Humanity is erased completely…

Did you know a melaninated person is a human?

Or did the white folks colonized you, too?

💔💚✊🏿💯© Kai C. 10mar22 ast206