Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Clothesline

Lititz, PA

The Clothesline
by Marilyn K. Walker
A clothesline 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 on the line;
You'd see the company tablecloths
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 raised their brows, and looked
Disgustedly away.
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!

 

4 comments:

  1. A very interesting poem with a lot of truth to it I'm sure! When I lived in Philadelphia, we were on,y 60 miles from the Lancaster area. We often took drives on weekends to attend outdoor antique markets. I loved driving through the Amish and Mennonite areas to see the clothes on the lines...plain in style with a lot of black but also rich purples, reds, and blues. I don't have a place to have a clothesline but I wish I did. Nothing like the smell of clean sheets that have dried in the sunshine!
    Peace to you dear friend.
    xoxo
    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've heard this one before and love it. It's a shame that people don't use clotheslines like they used to

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