Ivory: A Time Machine Poem

The wedding bands gleamed on their fingers when Momma, Aunt Sophronia, and Grandma sat on the front steps in Bradner, Ohio and combed each other's hair.

Aunt Sophronia's hair was the color of burnished cobwebs. She sat at the top, and she combed Lena Bernice's hair which was the color of faded tinsel. Lena Bernice, who was really Grandma combed Momma's hair, and braided it, while Momma held the cat, Uncle Theophilus.

Every Monday morning they ran barefoot on the wet grass to the wash house, and did the washing, and spread their dresses in the sun until the dark calico bleached into resurrection lilies.

Every Tuesday after they drank their breakfast tea they put on the long dresses, the dresses of faded hollyhocks and brown chrysanthemums, and sat on the front porch and combed each other's hair. And once Grandpa walked across the street from the yard goods store, and took this picture.