Alena
Deewater

Ann
Helsel

Charles
Furey

Donald
Shephard

Doug
Fortier

Gloria
Jorgensen

Henri
Bensussen

Holly
Tannen

Jan
Edwards

Jewels
Marcus

Maureen
Eppstein

Motherbear
Scott

Nancy
McLelland

Nona
Smith

Norma
Watkins

Sharon
Gilligan

Susan
Fisher

Ty
Moore

C h a r l e s  F u r e y  &  G a r t h  H a g e r m a n

Back Then

Back then in early April at the first real break in the weather when mothers stripped frost torn clothes lines from  fence posts and wove hanks of new white rope back and forth across the clean swept yards their young daughters seized the tangled gray lines and dragged them down the alleyway and out to the front steps and cut them into proper lengths with pinking shears and paring knives and leapt onto the smooth black asphalt and soft breezes sifted through the budding trees and the jump-ropes thrummed and the leather soled shoes lisped and shuffled and the girls chanted “Down the Miss is sip pi where the steam boats PUSH” their mesmerizing song droning on and on until daylight faded and the whirling webs stopped and they were all called home to their suppers.

Back Then