Susan Hawthorne #191 big blue stool

on the farm where I grew up
the blue stool was tucked away
under the bench in the kitchen
it was a big heavy stool painted
in sturdy blue slightly smoky
darker than nursery blue
not royal nor navy

when haircut days arrived
the big blue stool was pulled out
from under the bench
we children were perched atop
about three feet in height
it was at the perfect level for hair cutting
only once did my mother miss
leaving blood on my ear

at three feet and two feet square across
it was also just right for standing on
when school uniforms needed
to have the hems lifted
it was wide enough even for my sister
who had a fear of heights

when we played the game where
chairs are placed around the room
and blankets and cloths hung over them
making an underground rabbit warren
to crawl through the stool was
the highest tower but you could not crawl
through it because of the cross bars

and when the light globes blew
out came the stool yet again
an integral part of our farming life
where every bit of maintenance
and entertainment was done at home by us