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Strange Fruit- The UK 21st Century Disability Version

November 26, 2013
by

I’ve only just heard of the American protest song Strange Fruit– guess what I did to it?

This is dedicated to every disabled person who has died as a result of the welfare reforms.

Strange Fruit

These ATOS trees bear a strange fruit,

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,

Disabled people’s stolen lives, dancing in the breeze,

Strange fruit hanging from the ATOS trees.

Pastoral scene at a JobCentre just South,

Physically disabled, bulging eyes, twisted mouth.

Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,

Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.

Here is fruit for ATOS to pluck,

For the DWP to gather, for IDS to suck,

For the JobCentre to rot, for the Government to drop,

Here is a strange and bitter crop.

from → sd1's original writing

What are you thinking?