TIME SERVED X

HOW I FRAME THIS PART RELATES TO HOW 
I  HAVE ALWAYS WORKED A KITCHEN AND 
NEVER LET A KITCHEN WORK ME!
I GREW UP ON DISH DETAIL AT HOME
TAKING TURNS BETWEEN WASH AND DRY
DRY WAS THE OPTION TO GO BACK OUTSIDE
THEN RETURN, COMPLETE THE TASK
AS PART OF A TEAM EFFORT ( COVERT OPERATION)
RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AGE 17 YRS. OLD 
BY A MONTH OR SO.
I CO-WORKED THE EMPLOYEE’S CAFETERIA
AT RESORTS INTERNATIONAL HOTEL CASINO 
IN ATLANTIC CITY NEW JERSEY.
WHAT WAS REMARKABLE WAS THAT I WORKED ON
THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT OVERNIGHT AND ESSENTIALLY 
WAS THE CAFETERIA MANAGER  ON THE WEEKENDS.
SO THAT WAS ON MY TERMS, MY SHIFT.
NO SUPERVISOR SO I IMAGINE THAT BE ME.
I WORKED IN THE DIETARY DEPT.
IN A NURSING HOME WITH OUR CREW.
ONLY TIME I HAVE WORKED LEGIT IN THE PHILADELPHIA REGION.
I WAS IN THE PHILADELPHIA DETENTION CENTER ON A 
MISTAKEN IDENTITY CASE FOR 2 MONTHS. 
SNATCHED FROM THE STREET AFTER A STORE RUN
RANDOM  ACT OF BEING PROFILED HELLO YOUR IT!
THAT WAS THE SUMMER OF ’93 
YEAR MY FATHER (POP) TRANSITIONED
I ALSO WOUND UP ON KITCHEN DETAIL IN THE 
A.C. COUNTY BOOT CAMP WHEN
I FIRST GOT THIS PRISON BOUND CASE.
NOW BACK TO THE STATE PRISON TERM
I FIRST WORKED THE BAKERY ALL OF TWO DAYS
HANDLING BREAD....TOO FUNNY
“JUST STACK THE BREAD” 
NOWADAYS THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN URBAN RAGS TO RICHES STORY
OR A CHEAP THRILLS MUSIC VIDEO,
OH WELL UNTIL ON GETS CAUGHT.
ONLY MISTAKE EVER MADE WAS IN GETTING CAUGHT 
(ANTI-SOCIAL TRAITS) HOPE THAT IS WHILE STILL BREATHING
AND LIVING TO OVERCOME THAT MISTAKE.
DOESN’T MEAN THAT GIVES ONE THE RIGHT TO KISS 
DEATH AND LIVE TO TELL ( RISK TAKING) 
NOT EVEN DURING A PLEA BARGAIN
MOST TELL NOW THAT’S ANOTHER  STORY 
IN OF ITSELF.
MANY GO THAT ROUTE.
BACK TO THE CULINARY PIECE 
MY ROOMATES... 1 OF 3 WORKED IN THE KITCHEN
SO I APPLIED WITH THE CIVILIAN KITCHEN BOSS
MATTER OF FACT HE RECRUITED ME AND THAT WAS THE START.
SHORT VERSION WAS THE ALTERNATIVE ..
NOT MUCH OF ONE ANYWAYS WAS LIKE
HIGHWAY DETAIL, TICS, BUGS, LESS PAY AND NOT MUCH 
MORALE TO SPEAK OF, PARADED AROUND THE STATES
HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS WITH OVERSEERS
ARMED GUARDS.
SORRY NOT MY PICTURE OF WORK UNDER FIRE
NOR WORK FOR HIRE.
DIGNITY MIGHT BE THE LAST THING YOU GET BACK.
I BE DAMN IF I HAD TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY AT THE 
VERY MENTION OR AT EACH AND EVERY MENTION.
RIGHT BACK IN THAT KITCHEN , I STARTED IN THE MIX
THEN THE MOVE UP ....I BECAME THE JUICE MAN.
THE MAN NEXT TO THE MAN.
LET’S SEE THERE WAS THE CIVILIAN BOSS
THE LEAD KITCHEN WORKER (STATE PRISONER) AND
THEN MYSELF (STATE PRISONER)  THE JUICE MAN.
WELL OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW
THE OTHER GUY GOT A PAROLE DATE AND I GOT THE JOB.
I WAS GIVEN THE ALL OUT , CART BLANCHE (“JUICE”
TO MAKE THE JUICE..DO WHAT IT DO TO MAKE SOME 
OF THE FROWNS GO AWAY...BRIGHTEN UP THE DAY.
I MADE THAT JUICE THE GO TO “PUNCH”
SO MUCH SO THAT BRINGING OVERSIZED JARS, CUPS, JUGS AND 
TOO MANY REFILLS WAS OUT.
SEE ME NEXT MEAL FOR THE NEW TWIST 
OR IMPROVED UPON RECIPE.
THE CIVILIAN HAD TO REEL ME BACK 
AFTER FIRST GIVING ME THE ALL OUT
HE MADE ME HOLD BACK ON THE USE OF CONCENTRATE
THERE WAS NO LIMIT ON SUGAR
FUNNY THING WAS  I CUT BACK ON SERVING THAT WHITE STUFF
THAT WASN’T MY GO TO.
I HAD TO PERFECT BEING A MIXOLOGIST
WHAT I FORGOT TO MENTION EARLIER 
I WASN’T A BARTENDER THAT WAS MY OLDER BROTHER
BUT I SURE AS  HELPED HIM MEMORIZE EVERY DRINK
I WAS  A WORLD CLASS WAITER AT CAESAR’S PALACE IN ATLANTIC CITY N.J.
AT 20 YEARS OLD.
THOUSAND DOLLARS A WEEK CLEAR NO PROBLEM
THAT’S ANOTHER ERA AND ANOTHER TIME PERIOD
SOME POINT OF REFERENCE NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED
JUST NOT RIGHT NOW.
WELL I DIGRESS..SIDENOTE 
I BECAME THE FIRST AF./AM. WAITER IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF 
HOWARD JOHNSON’S MARVIN GARDENS RESTAURANT 
WHAT AMBROSIA RESTAURANT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS AND 
WHAT BUSINESS THE HOTEL CASINO TOOK OVER.
IMAGINE THAT IN 1984 ..... I  WAS THE FIRST OF ANYTHING 
LIKE BREAKING THROUGH A COLOR BARRIER!
NOW HERE I AM IN THE STATE PRISON KITCHEN WORKING
3 TIMES DAILY ALL 3 MEALTIMES WITH DOWNTIME IN BETWEEN.
HOW MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE WOULD I GET.
I HAD PRIVILEGE, STATUS, EXTRA FOOD CHOICES AND 
JUST A POSITIVE SENSE OF IDENTITY.
MANY OTHERS HAD TO CARVE OUT A NICHE THAT INVOLVED MORE THAN THAT 
SIMPLE WAS EASY AND  CREATED THAT ROUTINE, PURPOSE AND DISCIPLINE.
I DIDN’T HAVE TO LOOK FOR TOO MUCH TO HAPPEN THAT COULDN’T BE FOUND ON A DAILY BASIS WITH ROUTINE.
I DON’T IMAGINE THAT HAVING A BUMP IN PAY TO BE THE NEXT IN CHARGE
OF THE KITCHEN COMPARES TO BEING APPROVED FOR 
INTENSIVE SUPERVISED PAROLE ( ISP)
NO NEED TO HANG AROUND FOR A SCENARIO THAT DIDN’T LEAD 
TO AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM PRISON AT THIS POINT.
GUESS THAT WOULD ALSO HOLD TRUE FOR THE LAST GUY BEFORE 
ME THAT GOT HIS PAROLE DATE AND STEPPED OFF.
ACTUALLY HOPE HE MADE A NEW LIFE AND IS DOING WELL FOR HIMSELF.
NO TELLING WHO RAN THAT KITCHEN AFTER WE BOTH LEFT BACK TO BACK.
DOESN’T MATTER MORE THAN TO BE A RETURNING CITIZEN BACK 
IN THE COMMUNITY WITH NEW FOUND FREEDOMS.
THE FREEDOM I SPEAK OF MEANS IT’S NOT FREE
COMES WITH SOME MUST DO’S 
THE NEED TO MAINTAIN AND NOT TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED
NOT NAMESAKE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO NOW BE REFERRED
TO BY YOUR GIVEN NAME AND NOT A STATE PRISONER NUMBER
THAT MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE RIGHT DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL
THIS INDIVIDUAL NAMELY MYSELF ANYWAY!