Clothespins 1953

It is still dark outside,
Our elder sister Susan,
A young teenager,
Has rousted us all
Out of bed to do the
Weekly laundry early
So she can have Saturday
Afternoon free of chores.
The tired old washing machine
Grinds through another cycle
While we sort by colors and
Gather sheets, towels
And pillowcases,
The two pressure rollers wring
Out water and the item is put
Into a basket for hanging out
On the backyard clotheslines.
My little sister Sally, almost 5,
Is on clothespin patrol and
Must hunt the backyard for
Clothespins to put in her
Basket for Penny and I
To hang up clothes to dry.
Sally has not gotten with
The program and embraced
The spirit of our G.I. party,
She flounces onto a pile of
Clothes to take a nap then
Drags herself into the
Backyard reluctantly looking
For clothespins at dawn.
She turns to give us
All the stare of defiance
And throws her basket
Of pins to the ground
And loudly proclaims,
“Wouk, wouk, wouk!
Dat’s all I evah do!”
We all laugh and
Sally has to pick up
Her clothespins
And trudge on
Until the wash
Is done and
Our G.I.
Party is
Over.