Psalm 137

A poem about lost souls, based on Psalm 137, the song, “Babylon” by Mountain Man, and the words of Fredrick Douglas in his Fourth of July speech.

By the floods,

The floods

Of Babylon

—

We hung up our organs.

They hung up our organs,

Wet slaps in wind like song.

—

Food for cotton fields,

Fields of anise answers,

and mint man cumin.

—

Sip sepulchers sweet

with limb julep jubilee.

Limbs not made for running,

—

Or breathing Almighty,

peeled and chilly. The heat

of Almighty not coming.

—

What to slave is July of fourth,

If July knows stones,

Stones to cast children on?

—

We remember,

We remember,

We remember you Zion.