my brother's coonskin hat

i remember

the first time i did a load

of laundry

for myself.

i had studied how my

mother did it.

i was twelve years old

and needed

clean clothes for school

the next day.

i set up

the iron

for my dungarees

and button down short

sleeve

argyle shirt.

and waited on a chair

reading comic

books,

sipping on a Nehi

grape soda.

i waited

until the clothes were

washed then

dried, then

ironed and folded before

carrying them upstairs

to my one drawer.

in an act of kindness,

i let my little brother

throw in his Davey Crockett

coonskin hat,

that got mauled

and soggy with saliva

by our dog.