South Street
The sign over the
white porcelain water fountain
read `COLORED`
next to it was a new
stainless steel water fountain
the sign read `WHITE`
I knew immediately
I was drinking
out of the colored fountain
the water was warm you see
colored fountains had warm water
how did I know that
without reading the sign
just an assumption maybe
an uneducated guess
something you didn't learn in school
but were taught every day
by professionals in the field
Mordy Epstein, George Tom, and Clem Cheetum
quickly let me know of my error
in loud frantic whispers
`you’re drinking out of the nigger's fountain`
I remember clearly
what flashed through my 12 year old mind
that moment so long ago
in Woolworths five and ten cent store
in Vicksburg Mississippi
in 1962
1318 South Street
was our address
on the edge of black town
only a hedge, a hill
and the color of our skin
separating us
from the tin roof shanties
of the poor black folks
who were our neighbors
My mama would say
`those poor Negroes, I wonder
if they get enough to eat`
to which my father would reply
`Well, why don’t you invite them
over for dinner sometime honey`
and chuckle to himself, quite amused
I took my time finishing my drink
from the white porcelain fountain
with the COLORED sign over it
when I stood up, and looked
at my three friends
they just stared at me
for the longest moment
never mentioning it again
just looking at me oddly sometimes
wanting to know
but afraid to ask I guess
afraid I might answer them
and say what everyone else was thinking
that George Tom was a chubby little Jap kid
Clem Cheetum, a half breed Choctaw Indian
Mordy Epstein, a Jew boy
and me, I lived on South Street
on the edge of black town
where rumor had it
my mama invited Negroes over
to have dinner with us
and that her son hung out
with misfits and such
drinking warm water
from colored fountains
.
Author notes
Written April 29th, 2005
What did you think
Comments
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This is a contest prompt from Ecrivain but i feel i should comment here too. It may seem like a distant memory of a different world, but the attitudes that were present then are still with us, not so express and open in some ways, but more in others. Conventional thought in America is still hobbled by chains of the past when fountains and badges of inferiority were used to convince the white poor that while they were broke they were still better, and better-off off than the Black poor, and someone was busy keeping it that way...poor whites, and poorer Blacks. Good to know we have moved on from that stage, but consider how easy it still is the wedge and divide Americans on the question of equality... wonderful, nostalgic, redolent of truths that should not be forgotten...PK
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really good piece, excellent work...
al
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I click on featured poems with some trepidation these days, because you never know what you are going to find, and it is considered impolite not to comment.
I am very glad I clicked on this one.
I could tell immediately how personal it was. It had an utterly brilliant sense of time and place, and the age of the person through whose eyes it was seen. It also captured the culture of the time, mainly through the bold use of the language of the time (I am impressed at your patience with the person whose long comment, below, showed that they had read superficially and had seen only the racist words).
I read poems of all kinds on this site, and I write in many styles myself; this one is outstanding. It richly deserved a contest gold. Well done.
I shall look at more of your work.
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what?
Maybe I am the only one who sees this a racist, or prejudiced, but one thing stands out in my mind for certain thats that this lil poem is a work and it is solely the view of one single person. A lost cause was the segragation of blacks and whites. All men are equal black white latin and asian. It means nothing that the color of ur skin is different from others. Thus said I think this poem is just an opinion and my opinion it needs to stay just that. I dont want to sound ignorant but parts of this were ignorant. We dont live in the 50s anymore and times and people have changed. This is the new millenium. -
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Your comment reminded me of a famous quote. "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it". Burying your head in the sand will not erase the reality of the past. I was there and lived it. And you? This poem is not an "opinion" by any means. It is a factual account of a time we should never forget, although some would like to ignore. Take the chip off your shoulder and do some research. You may not like what you find, but you may discover things about yourself you have not considered in the past. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
regards,
- phattkat -
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where rumor had it
my mama invited Negroes over
to have dinner with us
and that her son hung out
with misfits and such
and drank warm water
from colored fountains
I love this piece. It could maybe use some changes in line breaks, but the emotion conjured up forgives that. Thank you for this.
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Your words are powerful and intense. You've written a strong message about a time and a condition I am very familiar with. I remember the one day a week at the local swimming pool when 'coloreds' were allowed and no whites showed up. Had anyone tried to mix....the very fabric of the universe would have ripped apart (supposedly). The good old days weren't always that good, but what else can you expect from 'a curly headed Wop?' lolol
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for "whatever" reason you wrote this , stories like this need to be told over and over again, for we should never forget----and a part of us should always carry the shame and the guilt for such narrow-mindedness. It is many years later , and unfortunately it is now no longer so much in the open [it exists and festers still behind closed doors and narrow minds of a different generation]Such a shame!!!!! Great write,
reenie
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Absolute wonder. Expresses the southern condition in a way that only a southerner could understand. Bravo.
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POWERFUL....
I AM COLOR BLIND I DONT SEE THE COLOR OF ONES SKIN BUT THE EYES ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL,
WHICH IS THE TRUE COLOR WITHIN OUR BEING.
Great Write
Lo-Amo
Salute! -
Interesting story
I found this invigorating. I have lived within the realms of poor minorities all my life. I lived in Dodge City in what was known as Lil Mexico. Then in Painesville Ohio in what was called the projects but was in an Apt. So Im not known to be a bigot. loved this little tale of yourn
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Wow... This poem is powerful in every sence of the word...It tells just how cruel people can be when they feel they are above somene else, no matter how stupid the reason for thinking tht was... Great work
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Just happened to read this I love it it is not only beautiful in choice of words and the way you have brought out the story but absolutly powerful.
Excellent work I love poetry with strong message within.
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There wasn't a line out of place here. Each stanza could have stood on its own. Hard to say much else without echoing the words of everyone else, thanks for entering.
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hm, discrimination. i had my own experience with that as well. What did those kids think of you after that? This brought a great big smile to my face to know that even then when it was so popular, someone didn't care about such things.
This is a great write, to remind people the things that were, and in some cases, still are. Thankyou for sharing your experience with me, it was very refreshing
-=Sin=- -
This was amazing. Extreamly well written about a very serious subject. I also enjoy the way this piece flows. The flow in the opening lines make for avery strong begining
<3 Jess -
You don't really need one more comment,do you?but still let me tell you this was wonderful.You told the story so well.The last two paras were simply superb.
Edited on Mar 05, 11:46 because ''. -
Superb job. I have both read and heard so many stories like this, but only from a African American's point of view. It was nice to read a story from annother point of view. Great write!!! I loved it.
q-pid -
I am sooooooo glad I decided to click on this. Its the best poem Ive read in a long time. Totaly unexpected. It is really beyond belief that this sort of thing ever happened. You are a hero -
Again a super poem, so matter of factly stated like you were talking to me over the kitchen table - awesome.
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This is more than a poem, it is a real life experience and I applaud for sharing it with all of us. Your mother must have had a heart of gold and you, the strength of gods to resist and stand your ground during such sensitive time. Sentinelpoetry.org.uk will probably love this piece as well. All the best.
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This is very powerful. It shows discrimination like it is. You did an excellent job in pulling it altogether. I appreciate your work on this. Shancy.
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wow
wow. that was the best poem i read today. now that i have to head off to bed, i will go in deep thought. it will be interesting to see what i dream tonight. this poem jumped about to different places and still managed to frame the moment at the water fountain greatly. amazing job! -
i moved back to oregon from arkansas in ninety six. living there as a child i was use to this. i was shocked that it still occurred in the ninety's though. it makes me sick that it does. you wrote this very well. viyanna r langager
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excellent
A vivid snapshot of a place and time in our history, sad but true. very excellent writing. -
EXCELLENT!!!
I think I've commented on this before, but either way let me say that this is a superb history lesson. The description of both time AND place, the inner thoughts of all the characters is sublime and stupendous. VERY well done! I don't usually give out applauses, but this one gets one. GREAT!!! -
Terrific poem! I love the ending! Wraps it up so perfectly. I wish I had more applause left!
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This is a wonderful pen......I read it twice and it was as if i had just seen it on television.....Wow you painted the images in this so vividly....You truly have a talent! COngratulations on the trophy......It deserved first I think, however it wasnt my contest to judge.....
Smiles your way > Sandy 
San-d
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Magnificent
Overall an extremeley well writting piece, not much more to say about it than has already been stated above, just toss a salute, and thanks for putting on paper for us all to read. -
It wasn't Shanty Town though, it was the one about the spiders and the Nazis. Anyway, I will try to get to this soon.
I've been busy with other things lately.
Congratulations again.
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