May the trees empower you
After work my wife and I stopped at the local Burger King for dinner and our appetite was quickly soured by the domestic violence that we witnessed. A man and his wife came into the restaurant and quietly began talking when the conversation turned south. The man (in his 30’s) began cussing and calling his wife names that I dare repeat. It was a fight over a letter that she had not given him and she swore she forgot but that is not important nor is it my point. The yelling and crying continued the entire time we were there.
He threatened to leave her and wish he had but its all a game to him and a living hell for her. The emotional part of me wanted nothing more that to get up and beat the living shit of this horrible waste of a human-being but the logical side of me sat me back in my seat to endure more of this degeneration of mankind. I do not consider myself an advocate for anything indeed I am the typical lazy US citizen but that scene tonight made me want to offer my hand to any women or man who might need a anchor point to get themselves out of such an existence. I know telling these oppressed people to leave is easier said than done. I can’t understand what that life is but I can tell you my heart broke every time an evil word entered in ear. How can our society support and promote these individuals? What makes a person want to hurt someone else? I just can’t comprehend this hatred.
…
I curse you, I say.
What that mean? he say.
I say, Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble.
He laugh. Who you think you is? he say. You can’t curse nobody. Look at you. You Black, you pore you ugly, you a woman. Goddam, he say you nothing at all.
Until you do right by me, I say, everything you even dream about will fail. I give it to him straight, just like it come to me. And it seem to come to me from the trees.
Whoever heard of such a thing, say Mr. ____. I probably didn’t whup your ass enough.
Every lick you hit me your will suffer twice, I say. Then I say, You better stop talking because all I’m telling you ain’t coming just from me. Look like when I open my mouth the are rush in and shape words.
Shit, he say. I should have lock you up. Just let you out to work.
The jail you plan for me is the one in which you will rot, I say
…
(from The Color Purple by Alice Walker)
May the trees empower every person who suffers on this earth for their time of glory will come and those persecutors will suffer every injustice they ever dealt.