Getting Clean

Getting Clean

written by: Susan Bocinec Terry

@sbwordmuse

Soaking in an old
round wash tub
with my cousin,
in my aunt’s kitchen.
We were just kids
and it was such a
treat to get a bath
in one of those old tubs,
especially for me,
since I was a city girl.
My cousin was a grump,
don’t think she
liked me much,
but there we were
buck naked in
cold well water mixed
with heated well water.
We must have gotten
pretty dirty to get a bath,
otherwise you went without,
or as mother called it,
you gave yourself a
“whore house bath.”
Not sure what it
was called for kids.
As a kid you surely
wouldn’t call it that.
Just imagine.
Thankfully we
were only visiting.
I hated those visits
and the outhouses,
but I endured thinking
how bad it was for
my aunt and her girls.
Couldn’t wait until we
left the country for home.

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Susan Bocinec Terry

An independent author, wife, and mother of one son, who has been writing poetry, musings, and short stories for quite some time. What started as a hobby has since turned into something much bigger. She was an active genealogist for several years, and her writing was encouraged by those in the genealogy circle. She finally decided that she wanted to share some of her words with the world. Born and raised in Ohio, briefly living in North Carolina and Chicago, Susan is now retired from the business world and enjoys writing about life, love, and nature. She has a passionate obsession with the moon, so much so that she’s contemplating a poetry book all about lovely Luna and her night sky.

Latest posts by Susan Bocinec Terry (see all)

• It Is Amazing - April 22, 2024
• Stories - January 30, 2024
• Getting Clean - August 30, 2023