Dedicated to Rosa Parks
who went to her final glory
 October 24, 2005.

Southern Breeze

Summertime in the south
was slow with thick wet air
smell of magnolia blossoms
fragrant mint grew in yards
Swamp-coolers and overhead fans
moved like molasses poured over fritters

Black tea, sweet and well iced
hushpuppies served with syrup     
grits drenched with butter, on the side
Where sensible white-folks with means
hired colored women with hungry children
for pennies on the dollar to do their bidding

Syndicated Amos and Andy Shows
played by under-employed black actors
brought peals of laughter across the South
on black and white televisions
in proper white homes
where blacks were allowed only as servants

White-hooded Klansmen still came by night
continued to burn crosses
hang bitter crop reminders of hate
from white poplar trees
that Billy sang about at 78 r.p.m.  
for whites and blacks to sway to

The time before Martin had his dream
that ended in a nation’s nightmare
Days when thousands of people marched
singing “We shall overcome”
and a tired working woman took her place
defiantly in history, just by sitting down