'Each Leaf On This Tree Will Heal A Nation' by Betsy Pinckney

A Found Poem: Each Leaf On This Tree Will Heal A Nation

I sick one time, in 1894. I sick
til my mother and father give me up.
Typhoid fever, gracious God! Oh that's a
good God. I can prove it!

I was to go into the hospital
the next day. There was a door,
just like I looking at it now. I see a
white man come through and walk
just past my bed. He come and
just look at me. Didn't say nothing, then
go out. 1894.

And when the day was clean,
the white gentleman come through
the door again; I didn't know how
he come into the house, but there
he was. And he had on a blue gown, and
hair drop on he shoulder. Yes sir! And
he come to my bed, ask me, "What will
you have me to do?" And you know
what I tell him? I say, "Please sir,
could you read the fifteenth chapter and
the psalm, 'The Lord is My Shepherd'?"

He say, "Have you a prayer book?" Ask me
just like I asking you a question! I say,
"Yes sir." He read the fifteenth chapter,
the first six verse. Then after he done
read that, he turn to the Twenty-Third Psalm,
and he read it for me. And he take me
and he carry me down to a river. My spirit
go on down to the river. Jesus! And when
I get there, he said, "This tree bears
twelve manna fruit. And every leaf
on this tree will heal a nation." Gracious
God have mercy! Well sir,

I wake up. I ain't seen the man
gone, but I know he come and carry me
to that tree, down to that river side, and
he tell me, "Each leaf on this tree will
heal a nation." Never sick so
again yet! And that's the truth. Gracious
God have mercy! Don't tell me
don't serve God, because I am
going to serve God until he say
"well done." Yes ma'am, "well done."