Robert Winthrop - Grandma's Apron

Are aprons passé? There may still be a few
That say 'Kiss the Cook' when men barbecue.
For Gram they were vital; they saved her good dress
When cooking and cleaning or clearing a mess.

They dried all our tears when as children we'd cry,
And they covered our heads when we'd be feeling shy.
They served as a basket for bringing in eggs,
And aprons worked great for cleaning skinned legs.

And they worked just as well as a plastic bag could
When she gathered in apples or carried in wood.
When the nuts had been shelled and the hulls lay about,
Well, then Gram used her apron to carry them out.

And if company came unexpected one day,
The apron could quickly clear all dust away.
And the apron was great for wiping her brow;
In the pasture she'd flap it for shooing the cow.

It covered her arms when the chilly wind blew;
On the porch she would wave it, and all the men knew
To come from the field for the meal she had made
Of delicious fried chicken and cold lemonade.

When you think of recycling, remember now, please
That Grandma's old apron could save lots of trees
If thousands of us when asked, 'Paper or plastic? ?
Would say, 'Fill my apron.' That isn't so drastic.

Robert Winthrop

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/grandma-s-apron-3/