Member Poem

Vicksburg Mississippi 1982 and now 2023.
nothing changed-fathers have taught their children
the ignorant children taught their hapless children,
a bleak merry-go-round well oiled with hatred.

1982 Mississippi Queen Cruisliner docks
on the shallow-sandy bank of
the murky-lazy Mississippi,
the grandest of old rivers.

Fonzi and 2 other waiters
enthusiastically run down the plank,
a glorious hour of freedom, an
escape from the stifling steamboat.

within a few minutes enter a
run-down-storm beaten shack,
looked like a “juke-joint,” but
they knew better...they didn’t care,
just wanted a few cold long-necked Buds is all.

a good ol’boy stands behind the bar
50ish with a southern paunch belly
and KKK imbedded in the irises of his eyes,
unwillingly gets them 3-beers

Fonzi hears an unfamiliar wooden knock,
tap, tap, tap.
good ol’boy frowns, and looks directly
into Fonzies tired eyes, then
sauternes to the far side of the bar:
slides a 2 by 2 hard-wooden-window
to the right, as if he is letting
evil-demonic spirits in.
a thin deep-black arm appears,
and extends with a hand clutching
2-one dollar bills, good ol’boy grunts,
snaps the 2 dollars, grabs a long-necked Bud,
slams it into the fragile hand, and
quickly slides the wooden-window shut.

ain’t no discrimination down here,
we follow all those anti-discrimination laws,
ain’t no Jim Crow no more,
can’t ya see, ya stupid
college-educated Negro boys.
M.S.. 1/10/2023
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