The World of Grandpa Don

The Clothesline Said So Much

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 comp'ny tablecloths
With their 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 the 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 their 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.
Today 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!

Sent by Tawanda Thomas

Back in Time

The "How I became Grandpa Don" page was starting to fill up with "stuff" about the Good Old Days. So, ... I moved that "stuff" to this page.

The Clothesline Said So Much

The World of Grandpa Don
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