By Royce M. Travis

Sunday morning, 11 o’clock
A sea of Black faces, coffee with cream, coffee without cream
Toffee, caramel, mahogany
Atop the beautiful faces are equally beautiful hats
Hats with flowers, hats with veils
Hats that cover freshly pressed hair
Hair that was washed, curled and pressed at Eva Mae’s Beauty Shop on Saturday

The Usher Board are in their white nursing uniforms
White gloves point to a place to sit
Or cover the lips to remind the restless children, “sssshhhh”

The mothers of the church fan themselves
With hand-held fans that advertise the Angeles Funeral Home on one side
And have a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the other

Bishop Moore looms from the pulpit, all 350 pounds
His voice resonates “Jesus loves you”
But if we do not get baptized and repent, we’ll burn in hell forever
Better get baptized today, don’t want to burn in hell forever

After service, sisters and mothers arrange bowls and plates of food
Fried chicken, collard greens, potato salad, homemade rolls and cakes
Children are always served first, then the men

Time to sneak away to the corner store
To spend the quarter Momma gave me to put in the offering
But I saved it
For the corner store.