I RESCUE DEL CASHIN

on our hill Del Cashin was a princess

with auburn hair that fell past her bum

sometimes she leaned on her verandah rail

shook her hair over her shoulders and sang

perhaps when my hair reaches far enough

you boys will climb up and rescue me

and Cec, Frazer, Macky, my brother, and I

were knights afire with desire for Del

though we had no idea why she needed rescuing

what wily wizards and witches were waiting

knew only that we were chosen to save Del

spent whole days swinging in the alders

below her house waiting for the call always

ready with swords of alder and loops of rope

until an August afternoon Del pushed pulled

her Westinghouse wringer washer to the verandah

and in the dusty blue air hung her underwear

a horizontal strip tease in reverse

whispered moans in the alders stopped only

with Del's scream each of us falling running

I climbed the trellis to the verandah first

found Del yelling thrashing blindly

almost swallowed by the wringer washer

her hair caught in the rollers like a dish towel

and with the knife Baden Powell promised

would save my life if I was lost in the jungle

I cut off Del's hair and Del said thanks

but you might have unplugged the machine

Del 's knights said nothing stared at Del

almost bald her face pinched pink wrinkled

the next day Clyde's Furniture delivered

an automatic washer Del stored in the basement

Del 's rescuers stopped swinging in alders

I guess Del's hair grew back I can't remember