It's a bright and sunny morning
And Monday's here again
We're rolling out the Maytag
So the washing can begin
Two washtubs sat behind it
One for starch and one for rinse
With water carried the night before
From the pump out by the fence
I can still hear Mother humming
Occasionally breaking out in song
Keeping rhythm with the dasher
As the morning moved along
Working almost till sundown
That mountain of wash diminished
It takes a lot for nine people
But the whole shebang got finished
Bedtime on washday was a blessing
Weary bones waiting to hit the sheets
On a bed with fresh washed linens
And line-dried in the breeze
Through hot or cold or snow or rain
How well I still remember
That old Maytag chugging along
From January through December
Kathleen McCoy Eldridge©
August 10, 2010
All Rights Reserved
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