Princess Pamela

1996
long ago, when I was a lad,
I discovered my first soul food restaurant;
Princess Pamela's Little Kitchen.
east tenth street
tiny
tatty
frayed
homey
great fried chicken
delicious collards
peas, sweets,
and in the corner
was the rattiest
saddest
most beaten up
Christmas tree
colored light strings
blinking cheerfully away
trying so hard to be gay
and there, all of the time,
was the grey, wizened
wrinkled
princess.
"Pamela, why the Christmas tree?"
"well, Michael,
it pleases me,
and...
It's my damn restaurant"

Some of Chef Princess Pamela’s favorite sayings: