Aprons

Grandma had three kitchen drawers full of folded aprons
pinks, light blues, spring greens, yellow,
gold, polka-dotted, striped, square-cut and scalloped

Aprons to cook in and clean
and for my sister and me
aprons to tie on like capes and run
batman and robin-style
through the house screaming
bada dada dada dada BATMAN!

Joining ranks at every carpeted corner
Freezing and splitting off again with
dramatic orders--You go that way

Grandma took the aprons off the laundry line
while I pushed my whole body into bulging sheets
melting into cotton, molded by wind

Grandma's work polished fingers
pinched the wood clothespins which doubled as
triggers for rubber band guns

Outdoors, clean air and sun
a ceilingless blue sky