These poems are part of a special section of the Mid-Atlantic Review, Celebrating Black History, and selected by editors Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Carolivia Herron, and Rebecca Bishophall. To learn more about this series read a blog post on the Day Eight website here.
Witch Hazel Tree
by Dorothy Waters
“Benjamin Hance, an African American man, was lynched June 17, 1887 in Leonardtown, St. Mary’s County. The men took Hance to the outskirts of town and hung him from a witch hazel tree.” – msa.maryland.gov
What
Is
The
Crime against Benjamin
Hance
His hue
Aroused
Zealots
Earnest in their
Lynching of him
They tortured and hung him with
Racism and
Evil and
Excuses
Dorothy Waters is a Maryland native – mother of one, grandmother of one, and mother-in-love of one. She was born to talented parents among twelve siblings. She writes poems sporadically – sometimes to suit special occasions or events, sometimes to remember or honor someone, or just on a whim. She realizes that the placement of words and the way they are configured and formed can compel you to laugh, to cry, to think, to sigh, to remember, to understand, to grieve. Her poems are written from snippets of conversations, interesting word groups, the sounds or appearances of nature or mankind, and just general observations. She knows that words and how they are written, spoken, sung or perceived – matter.
Featured image in this post is Witch Hazel Tree in Hillsboro, Oregon by M. O. Stevens, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share, wikimedia commons.
