A Tribute to Billie Holliday

A tribute to Billie Holiday (A poem)

( (c) by Stephanie Jeannot)

Eleanora Fagan

Started sangin

While a lil thang

She had that swing

And all that jazz and blues

And the fanciest poppin shoes

And a white gardenia

A Billy Holiday signature

Creative and vivacious 

Added her own touch

To standards and poems

U2 described her as the Angel of Harlem

And dem Gershwin tunes

Or that song "Blue Moon"

And "God Bless the Child"

On April 7, 2014 would've been 99 

Thankful she shared 

this that and those

And her singing of the poem 

"Strange Fruit" by Abel Meeropol

Added a sophisticated touch to songs

That even now have us be-bopping along

With that raspy sound

The diva won over crowds 

Billie Dove

Happy birthday to you in heaven up above

(She did inspire something in my life which has also become part of me as it was in her. Flowers in my hair! If it's not a flower, it's a hat with a flower on it. All I know is I dig her style. So much that it's a part of mine: 

Thanks for reading my poem. Have a great day.)

Btw. . . 

If you never heard The song Strange Fruit, first read the poem written by Abel Meeropol in the 1930s and then follow the link to a YouTube clip of Billie's performance of it:

Strange Fruit 

By Abel Meeropol

"Southern trees bear a strange fruit,

Blood on the leaves 

And blood on the root,

Black body swinging 

In the southern breeze,

Strange fruit hanging

From the poplar trees.

Pastoral scene of the gallant south,

The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,

Scent of magnolia

Sweet and fresh,

And the sudden smell of burning flesh!

Here is a fruit fir the crows to pluck,

For the rain to gather, 

For the wind to suck

For the sun to rot, 

For a tree to drop

Here is a strange and bitter crop 

And here is the link: http://youtu.be/h4ZyuULy9zs