the Diaper pick up man

before

there were disposable

diapers

there was

a truck that used to come

around

and pick up

the dirty ones,

then return them clean

at the end

of the week.

i remember my mother

setting out

a dozen

or so

on the front porch

in a bag.

fifteen pounds

of diapers.

the man would arrive

in a nice

uniform,

with a name tag.

he'd tip his hat

and move

on to the next house as

we looked

out the window.

promising each other to

kill ourselves

if we ever

had to do that.