FIFTY PERCENT COTTON

Francis Francis of West Virginia
gave birth to eleven children
four of which made it to adulthood
and the ones who died
she buried one by one on the hill by her house
one died when his nightgown burned
as he walked by the fire pit
another died when she coughed herself to death
the four who had survived made it to Ohio
Zelah whose name was from a bible story
went to school with the famous writer Toni Morrison
who was named something else at the time
Francis was married to Golden Mills, an alcoholic
and every week she went down to the coal mine
to get his paycheck
before he could cash it at the bar
and I tell you this now
before I am too old to remember
or maybe
no longer here to tell you