Character Study
Virginia Salter

I was twelve or thirteen
and she
well, let’s just say
she had gained character

Charisma, too,
though I didn’t know what that was
back then,
but I was fascinated by her. . .
there, in the strawberry field.

Her skin was brown and creased like leather
not from her birthing
but
from the sun
she surely was poor, too,
economically
but her toothless, infectious smile
erased any pity for her plight.

She worked really hard, too.
That had an effect on me.
To think this woman,
who was at least eighty,
if she was a day,
could fill those carriers
in nothin’ flat.

I sorta thought she had different morals
than most people I knew.
Well, because she didn’t wear a bra,
and not all her buttons stayed buttoned,
just the important ones.  
This was in the mid-fifties, too,
way before bra-burnings,
so the only statement she was makin’---
“I don’t choose to spend my hard earned wages
on such frivolous things.”

Her shirt was a flannel plaid
pants-jeans, Levis, probably,
ya know, back before they were fashion statements.

I watched her,
watched how fast and hard she worked.
Even though she captivated my thoughts,
I picked more berries that day than ever before,
thirty-two carriers!
It was way behind her number
but I was still pretty proud of my hard work.
Liked the money, too.
She was likely somebody’s grandma;
she was nice to us,
my brother and me,
well, friendly,
seems like she used words
and smoked a cigar, too!
Don’t think I’ll ever forget her.

©May 6, 2001