SUMMER BATH

    “Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.”

My beautiful young mother pumps and carries buckets of
    Cold well water,
    Warms the water on the wood-burning cook stove,
    And fills a round metal tub set in the grass
    Near the back porch, in order to bathe her three young.

    “Rub a-dub-dub, three men in a tub, and who do you think they be?”

Entwined and soap slippery,
    Splashing in the orangey light of the setting sun,
    We joyously share the water.

    “Splish, splash, I was taking a bath.”

Momma’s tender touch and terry washcloth busily scrubs us
    Top to toe, down to the dirty dusty feet of her
    Barefoot running babes.

    “There was an old woman, who lived in a shoe,
      She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.”

Tickle-giggling, we race around her - - wet and waiting
    To be captured in her vigorous rubdown towel dry.

    “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumps over the candlestick.”

Quickly, expertly Momma slips us into clean cotton night clothes,
    Tucks us into sun-scented crisp white sheet,
    And kisses us with snuggley “I love yous.”

“Momma please sing about the poor babies”

          “Oh, don’t you remember a long time ago, There were three little
    babies whose names I don’t know.  They wandered away on a bright
    summer’s day, and got lost in the woods, so I’ve heard people say.”

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
God bless Mommy and Daddy and (yawn)
And to all a Goodnight.

Homework assignment: to write a non-rhyming poem about a sweet childhood memory.
This is better “performed” with the nursery rhymes and songs.


Patricia Prewitt
October 31, 2006