A Time of Youth by David Hart

A Time of Youth by David Hart

A time of youth
They called me a teen
Workin' hard and
Workin' mean,
at the Sears
Roebuck warehouse.

Loadin and unloadin' pallettes,
Put some boxes on the pallette
Take some boxes off the pallette
Boxes on
Boxes off
Startin' at midnight--
Eight hours a day--
Sometimes twelve--
Gotta get the O.T.
That's what we called
Overtime.

A time in youth
An age of a teen.

Jamal worked there too.
He smoked wacky tobacy
and lived in the Cabrini
Green Housing Projects.
Chicago, Illinois.

Breaktime at Sears and
Jamal and I would indulge
in the fearsome herb and some
cough medicine.
Just a little balm to
Get through the graveyard
Shift at Sears.
A time in a year of my teens.
A little balm to ease
the hardscrabble pain.

Went to visit Jamal at the
projects. What did I hear?
"Hey Whitey, Hey Honkey,
Hey White Bread, Hey Snowflake,
Whadda ya doin' here"?
"Geez I said just visitin' my
friend Jamal".
Shoulda said I was movin' in
Coulda said I was movin' in.

Folks come to my neighborhood
With a deep rich skin tone,
I'd never think to say "Hey
Coal face, Hey Charcoal, Hey
Blackie".
I'd usually say, "Hi, Welcome,
What's new, and What's Happenin".

Just a little time at the
Cabrini Green.
Just a little time
When I was a teen.