Almond And Mints Poem by Josephe Buchanan

'The child and Beauty
Salute to the class of 1920-65'

Almonds and mints accented the smell of good food and light cigarettes.
The dark green carpet and antique furniture reminded the child of black
and white movies on Sundays. A record player and vinyl echoed hello
stranger. This beauty looks like a retired Barbara Lewis. The little boy
liked the decor of class and vintage. It reminded him of romance and
love stories. The little apartment was filled with love, so he never
realized that beauty was lonely. He watched this little woman and her
round checks, and almond eyes hidden under her thick glasses. Ha ha; she
would laugh and compliment the young man. He was always obliged. Old
Brooklyn surrounded by gardens and museums, she was a masterpiece of
Technicolor around the gray scale of Hassidic Jews, and rich whites. The
child would see the Jewish people on the Parkway, and scream the 'Jews,
Jews'. He actually likes the unique yet gray scale look of the Jews. He
remembered the Jews from bible class. This made him excited because he
was too young to know that he wasn't in Israel. Back to the mint
chocolates, Sam Cooke, and Sammy Turner. The child remembers beauty's,
little bedroom always being clean, with perfect hardwood floors, light
scented perfumes with the pump, the rotary phone, and basic dial TV with
channel 2 to 13. The book shelf screamed black Africa, and the Diaspora.
The books suggested that religion was not the main theme, but more like
a search for truth from the motherland. There was a lot of pride and
history. This seemed suitable being that her husband was a black
nationalist and historian. The kid never knew why they were not
together. He felt a sweet sadness like the song 'the way you look
tonight from The Lettermen'. What he did know was that beauty reminded
him of a deep euphoria of a time long gone. A time where music had soul,
women were respectful, and men were real men. A time were segregation
didn't allow her people to loose soul, a time were you can dance all
night, and stare at the shooting stars, while kissing, and laughing. Sex
was not the all, but romance was the in thing. 'It was a day where the
blossom still clinged to the vine, and you could taste sweet
strawberries and drink your sweet wine.' Great memories press between
the pages of Elvis and Betty Everett. The shoop shoop was the new scoop,
and the Dream of a King was soon to be revealed. Beauty would come visit
the child's house. He remembered the men had cool sideburns, and pork
chops. The women had curly jet black short do's, with perfect dresses to
shape there perfect coca cola figures. Back when the bottle was shape
like women, and women not trying to be shape like the bottle. There was
a lot of energy, good spirits, and food. The child remembers beauty
being more to herself, as if she was ever proud or very humble by her
daughter's family. Now to think about it, her husband was there.
His stature alone was one of Paul Robinson, Harry Belafonte, or Sydney
Portia. He commanded attention and was very fun to be around. Beauty
seemed to be distant at times, when she wasn't entertaining at her
vintage apartment. Bless beauty and her preservation of class and
romance. The very scent of almonds and mints reminds me of when I was
just a child, and I would visit my grandmother's world of classic and
romance. To a fallen monument, and a symbol of hope. To the class of
1920 to 1965. Like the great Beatles said 'think of what I'm,
saying, we can work it out'.