In the Great American Photo Album,

Southport’s Bo Jangles is a little snap-shot.

A picture of the crew will do.

Mai Wong bakes the biscuits.

She feels fortune-favored

to have the job

since she is (secretly) just 15,

but she cultivates such a

pristine, porcelain charm

so to be mistaken for 20

in Billy Joe Johnsons dreams.

It seems this 20-something

assistant-manager is

afflicted by the malady

from which the majority

of young American males suffer:

the deep rooted fascination

with Oriental beauty.

So, Mai was hired by Billy

to bake Bo’s famous biscuits

from 5:AM till noon

while Billy slices them

and moons over every move Mai makes.

Abigail Stewart makes

the bacon or sausage biscuit breakfasts,

blithely ignorant of the fact that

her great, great, great, (etc)

Grandfather Amos Golds ghost

is groaning in his grave

in Savanahs Jewish-Confederate-Soldier-Cemetry

every time Abigail nibbles on a sausage…

It’s bad enough that Colonel Gold

somehow knows

that Shaquan Davis earns two dollars an hour more

above minimum wage by broiling chicken

than Abigail makes prepping biscuit sandwiches.

And don’t forget the fact that

generations back,

Shaq’s people were Gold’s slaves

harvesting cotton on Amos’ Georgia plantation!

Abigail’s great, great (etc)

Grandma, Henrietta Gold,

tried to migrate North

after that “late unpleasantness”

but made it only as far as

Smithville, NC

where she sunk roots and married

her third cousin twice removed,

Charles Smith

and suffered with him through

the renaming of the town to

Southport, NC,

where Shaq’s ancestors got stuck

on their great march North!

But,

don’t worry about the inequity between

Shaq’s and Abigail’s salaries.

Rumor has it that both their checks

will soon be deposited into

the same Bank of America checking account!

And here I am!

A Bronx-born retired old man

eating breakfast with Bo-Rounds

created in collaboration by

Mai, Billy, Shaq and Abby!

“Y’all have a blessed day!”

shouts the busy, happy quartet

when I finish my feast.

“Same t’ y’all!”

I answer

as the door swings shut

behind me.