Eugene in 1965

It was damn near midnight
As a black woman walked into the
Convenient store on Franklin Boulevard
She was singing Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"
And the clerk glared at her when she walked in.
She looked around the store to kill time
And to wait for the long line to die down

After a minute she approached the counter
And ordered a pack of Newport’s
But the man continued to glare
He was six feet tall and White
He looked down at her and said
Sorry, we’re all out of Newport’s
But she could see them right there

So she asked for a pack of Parliaments
And he said they were out of those too

In disbelief
She looked him up and down
And said thank you
She walked out of the store
And got into her Plymouth
Her husband
Who was disabled said
Did you get your smokes babe?
And she said
No, they were all out.