User:James E Reeves/Poems
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Alberta’s Story
- It is a privilege to know Alberta and this is where I’ll start,
- Her story began with conversation about good food and a broken heart.
- She was assigned to my book of clients to share
- For collections and prospects much profits to bear.
- A woman of color, her rosy cheeks seem to burst.
- Began with a story she didn’t have to rehearse.
- “We left Alabama in the fifties for sure
- Because of all the trouble we had to endure.”
- No work for my husband so not much to eat
- New York looked much better we had kinfolk to meet.
- Our folks there were anxious no money no room;
- We had to get work or starve very soon.
- So finally my husband found some success
- This waiting and looking was such a distress.
- He asked on his first paycheck, now what bills should be met?
- I said, “a night on the town and a table that’s set.”
- So we enjoyed a New York dinner the best I ever had.
- We came wearing old clothes but we were still glad.
- The waitress said no money please it’s on the owner;
- He wants to see you now and he’s coming around the corner.
- My stomach was full, so I thought oh! How great!
- Then I heard what he said as he broke my plate.
- “We don’t serve people with dirty clothes on their back,
- The plate that you touched we’ll replace on our rack.”
- Tears big as dimes were splashing the floor.
- Retelling this story involved so much more.
- She left sweet Alabama the place of her home,
- But to some discrimination exist wherever they roam.
- Many people have told me stories some were true and some were not.
- Some stories meant nothing at all to me but some meant quite a lot.
- And there have been some people I esteemed so very high
- People most courageous not embarrassed at all to cry.
- Now sometimes-big tears of emotions are not always true
- But when judging what is from the heart it is more than just a clue.
By- James E Reeves