REPARATION
SARAH
THE
WAS
DAY
AND
TALL
AND
CALLED HER IN HIS
MY GREATGRANDPA
TOLD HER
SHE WAS FREE
SARAH MR LINCOLN
YOU DONT BELONG
FOURTEEN YEAR OLD
STUDY
TACITURN
TO
SAYS
TO US
ANY
GO
MORE SO YOU CAN LEAVE
WORD
SARAH DIDNT SAY
THE
AT
WELLSWEPT CARPET
KEPT LOOKING
HANDS DASPED TIGHTLY UNDERNEATH HER APRON
WELL
GREAT GRANDPA GREW IMPATIENT
MASTER WHEREWOULD GO WHAT WOULD
IVE NEVER BEEN NO FARTHER THAN THE TOWN
WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE ALONE
SARAHS VOICE WAS LOW AND VERY SOFT
ONE WHOSPOKE LITTLE AND WAS LITTLE LISTENED
DO
TO
THEN THAT SHE WOULD STAY
THEM MASTER MISSUS
OR MR AND MIZ DUNCAN
BUT SIR AND
THAT SHE WOULD KEEP ON WORKING ROUND THE HOUSE
THEY
SETTLED
WOULDNOT
CALL
MAAM
MAYBE SOMEDAY BE IN CHARGE LIKE ABIGAIL
SHED GATHER EGGS AND MILK THE COWS CHURN BUTTER
JUST LIKE ALWAYS
BUT NOWSHE WOULD BE PAID THE BUTTER AND EGG MONEY
THAT WAS SARAHS
SAID
GRANDPA DUNCAN PUT IT IN THE BANK HE
WHEN SARAH CAME BACK FROM MARKET WITH HER COINS
AT
CHRISTMAS
SO SHE COULD
HED GIVE
BUY
HER FIVE DOLLARS
FROM THE BANK
THE CHILDREN GIFTS
TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD PIECE THAT SARAH SPENT ON DOTHES
BOOTS NOT HANDED DOWN
SUNDAY HAT AND PAIR OF GLOVES GOOD
ONE TIME
THE
DECADES CYDED BY ABIGAIL PASSED
AND SARAH WAS IN CHARGE
OF ALL THAT BIG OLD HOUSE AND BARNS
AND MILKING SHEDS AND CHICKEN COOPS
NIECES YOUNGER COUSINS CAME AND WENT
MADE
THE
MANY
SWEPT THE CARPETS
SHE SENT ONE GIRL AWAY BIGBELLIED
NEVER SAID
BEDS
WORD TO ANYONE
THATS SARAH IN THE GOLDEN WEDDING PARTY PICTURE
DARKSKINNED GIBSON GIRL AMONG THE BLONDES
IN 1919
GREATGRANDPA DUNCAN DIED
AND WHENTHE WILL WAS READ
SARAH ASKED MISTER WILLIAM
AT 90
THE OLDEST
SON
ABOUT HER BANK ACCOUNT
MISTER WILLIAM
SARAH
SHOOK
HIS
DONT KNOW
HEAD
THING ABOUT IT
YOU MUST HAVE GOT IT WRONG
AND MISTER WILLIAM WALKED AWAY
SARAH WALKED TOO INTO
IN HER POCKETBOOK FIFTY
ALL IN
TOWN WITH
FIVE
PAPERS
YEARS OF RECORDS
ORDER
EVERY PENNY THAT SHE GAVE GREATGRANDPA
AND EVERY PENNY
THE LAWYER WAS
THAT
HE GAVE
TO
HER
YOUNG MAN FROM CHICAGO
JUST HUNG OUT HIS SHINGLE
FOLKS SHOOK THEIR HEADS THAT HE
HELPING AN OLD DARK LADY FILE
THE COUNTYS LEADING FAMILY
WOULD WASTE HIS
SUIT
AGAINST
HEADS SHOOK AND KEPT ON SHAKING
THE DAY THE JUSTICE RULED AND FOUND
ORDERED
ALL
THE
PAYMENT AND
TIME
FOR
SARAH
THE INTEREST
BANGED HIS GAVEL ON THE POLISHED DESK
SHE TOOK THE MONEY TOOK THE TRAIN TO KANSAS CITY
BRAND NEW GLOVES
SEVENTY YEARS OLD WORE HER SUNDAY HAT WITH
UNDERNEATH
HER
ARM
BIBLE
AUGUST
92001
MICKEY
ELLINGER