I rode with my Aunt Hazel to the corner store
Her bare feet shoved into slip on shoes
A cigarette dangling from her lips.
Windows down, my long auburn hair flying
“Take it Easy” by the Eagles on the AM radio
We bought bologna and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer
for our starving family who never planned.
A cooler full of PBR, cussing and loud music–
for coarse men and my Aunt Hazel.
We were white trash with bologna sandwiches
Sitting on wooden public picnic tables next to Soddy Lake.
I learned to swim there
when my Uncle Dan threw me into the murky water.
I floundered at first–
until I dog-paddled my way back to shore.
Sharon Shadrick is a full-time writer and retired teacher. She was published in Volume Nine of WOAP’s Women Speak Anthology. Her co-written book, The Power of a Paper Clip, was released in the fall of 2024. She lives in Dunlap, Tennessee, with her husband and three rescue dogs.
**Featured image credit: Praswin Prakashan, Unsplash