Just a Good American Film

 Sunshine State:

-Daddy!

Is that you, Marly?

-You need any help?

No.

I can still see light. Shapes.

You on your way to work? 

-Sort of.

 

I used to see the dawn

come up every day.

Only the shrimpers got up earlier.

Remember Clarence Green?

Used to work in the kitchen.

He'd be back there.

I'd come in, "Morning, Clarence."

"Morning, Mr. Furman," he'd say.

They don't call you like that no more.

 

-Not for a long time, Daddy.

 

I said that if integration comes...

...I was gonna close up.

One day, there it is. Four of them.

Young, polite. Sitting in a booth...

...waiting for my girls to serve them.

Clarence was in the back

trembling like a leaf.

Didn't know how I was gonna react.

I said, "What do you think, Clarence?"

He said, "Well, Mr. Furman...

...I reckon if you serve them this

one time, they ain't coming back."

"How's that?" I said.

"Excuse me for saying it, Mr. Furman.

But the food is a lot better

down at Buster's Place."

You spend a lot of time worrying

about a day coming.

Then when it does,

it ain't so bad.