War Bonds
It was wartime
Daisies and Maisies in overalls
Worked in factories
Snapping gum in their teeth
Ration spunk
To keep them going
Through weekend tours
At the local USO
Or late nights
Checking hats
For the Willard rooftop garden
It was rough
Making ends meet
While their men were at war
In radio worlds
And newspaper print
Nights at home were spent reading
Letters over and over
Like prayers
Mouths shaped
To the words
And Hershey bars
Melted on radiators
Copyright Credit: Saundra Rose Maley, "War Bonds" from Disappearing Act. Copyright © 2015 by Saundra Rose Maley. Reprinted by permission of Saundra Rose Maley.