The Clothesline...

Having grown up in the days when we still hung our clothes outside to dry, this is especially poignant...

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 upon 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 night-clothes and a bathrobe too, haphazardly were strung.

It said "Gone on vacation now" when lines hung limp & bare,

it told "We're back" when full lines sagged with not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon, if washing was dingy grey,

as neighbors raised their brows & 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 was on the line.