This is part of a song cycle I am writing for my family and how we have traveled through our history. This song is about The Roanoker, formerly a restaurant in Roanoke, Va where my mother liked to go.

It was slow at the Roanoker The place where the elderly liked to eat Smaller than normal proportions They had good carrot cake

We would pull up to the entrance Let my mother get out first Everyone else would get out While I went to park the car

The Roanoker had knick knacks A regular stop for tour buses Memorabilia from the Old South Along with biscuit mix

You could sit in a non smoking section You could smoke while you ate back then We sat in the non-smoking section In the smallish tables and chairs

Built in the 1940s Comfortable for that time and era A staff of middle aged waitresses With pleasant, chatty smiles

If you didn’t like too much chatter And you could deal with small ice cream dishes You went to the Roanoker And had a decent meal.