Sunday, January 5, 2014

Sunday Whirl: Doing Laundry




The sky behind my clothesline
is a bride's "something blue"
on this January day in Florida.

The clouds are her veil. I shake
a scarlet shirt to get the wrinkles
out then squeeze a clothespin

to the bottom edge, first one side
then the other. Next comes a pair
of dungarees, midnight blue. There

is a bit of a breeze, silent music,
to which they waltz. It's been years
since I was a bride, years and years

of hanging laundry to dry, caressing
that fresh, sunny, Downy proof
of feeling stuck. You might expect

this poem to be maudlin, a wordy
whine, but, I'll spare you because
the day is too lovely. I pick up his shorts

and hang them next to my panties.
I'm struck by how this simple act saves me.
They shimmy next to each other all day.

9 comments:

Jae Rose said...

Laundry is one of the simple things that bring comfort..it's all about the little things really isn't it..I like how the clothes hang together..perfectly..

annell4 said...

It seems in the simple act of hanging out clothes a perfect time for memory...in the blue of the sky.

brenda w said...

Mundane tasks connect deeply to our spirits. This is beautiful, Linda. Laundry lends itself to image rich reflection. A lovely write, thanks.

Unknown said...

The never ending laundry! Isn't it great when the sun can take away any whining and add beauty even in hanging laundry?

nan said...

I love the ending...comical and nice... and I really enjoyed the warm, fresh images... from my land of 10 below.

Old Egg said...

This reminds me of the time when hanging the washing for my wife I ensured mine and her pieces were alongside and played with each holding hands as it were.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

And long may they shimmy. A really sweet and touching piece.

aspiritofsimplicity said...

wonderful. the shimmying panties was a nice surprise...it did bring to mind my old neighbor hanging her panties on the line...she was old as the hills and her panties were as big as a house though

flaubert said...

Oh, I hope I have many more days of hanging my husband's clothes next to mine. Nice visuals here, Linda.

Pamela

Linda's Poems