Ticket on the Titanic

Etta & I had no intention of missing
the maiden voyage of the finest ship
built by man, but Captain Smith drew
the color line almost as quickly as Tommy

Burns did. I expected the line from
a frightened prizefighter, but an English
sea captain? He should be more principled.
Especially after I offered $4,000 for each

ticket. Of course, that color line kept mef
rom fighting our way onto a lifeboat
after that iceberg. That is a fight
you can bet your last copper I would

have won. Even after all the offense
I suffered & the indignity of being refused
passage, I would never dance the Eagle
Rock after all those people drowned