Mother's Poem to put out the fires
(for Rosemary-the-gallant at age 76)
The fire gear
helmet, tank and harness,
heavy boots,
heavy even without my bad foot.
The group behind me, encouraging,
I climb steel ladders,
step over water-tight door sills
with heavy boots and back tank,
spray at the fire
with twisting, heavy hose.Hard, now, even to lift my hands to type.
My exam yesterday was great: 96.
It's 4pm
With my room-mate--
a Chief Cook from Tacoma--
we'll do something for FUN.Febrruary 25, 2001
Time for a new battery but not new underpants
New Battery Adventure today.
I went to the car and
it was DEAD.
I tried my service station.
Closed.
I took a bus to the Chinatown area service station.
They sent me, by bus to Strauss Bros.
I bought a battery and took it home by taxi.
I tried to extract the old battery
BUT it was clamped in!
I called AAA; he came but had no tools.
He jumped the battery;
I drove to the station;
"he" installed the battery;
I took the old one back to Strauss for $10 refund.
I am home now writing to you 4 hours later.
I did not go to see Helen with new underpants.
I'll try
next weekend.
Rest time.
Love, M.