Saturday, November 01, 2008

THE CLOTHES LINE POEM by Marilyn K. Walker





THE CLOTHES LINE POEM

A clothes line was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the 'fancy sheets'
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the 'company table cloths'
With intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth
To folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung
So carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed
You'd know how much they'd grown.



It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.

It said, 'Gone on vacation now'
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, 'We're back!' when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way.

But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!


"The Clothesline Said So Much", by Marilyn K. Walker

3 comments:

Mary said...

and what about the clothes that get hung out to dry when the sun is shinning and then you get all lazy and leave them overnight - just to hear the rain pounding off your window - oops too late ! Never mind, you say, another rinse will do the clothes fine. But.. what will the neighbours say?

Autumn said...

I love it!
Hope you're having a great day today, Ali :)

AR xxx

Gina said...

How true!
I love this, have saved it to my computer.
I think I came across your blog through Terese.
Regina