Monday 10 November 2008

Clothesline

the clothesline can tell you stories
that wearers will not reveal
of purple yearning
and blue moods
it tells you everything
the pastel triangles of cloth
a little one is in the world
a mother’s milk stained gowns reveal
pride that goes untold
lace panties satin thongs
a lover has been there
clothes that give away
more than they hide
give way to a penetrating stare
crisp lengths of unbleached cotton
speak of irreligiosity
the opposite softest cotton
speaks of temple visits religiously
blankets and patchwork quilts
remind me
winter is approaching here
eiderdowns coverlets aired prepare
for cold weather
socks towels tennis perhaps
some sport at least
silk sheets tell me of
games that tease
a pristine collar on
a much used shirt
feminist feminine whatever
tells you of a woman’s love
that no modernity can sever
starched crisp cotton
khadi classy silk
no matter what the fabric is
it brings society in its ilk
so this is the story of a home
and the cord that runs through it
you may bond over
fights
food
or fabric well knit
and when you see
it fluttering in the winds carefree
know that it is love
you see
i’ve started this poem
many a times
to abandon it mid way
maybe it needed time
to soak up the sun
maybe it needed today
warm clothes
the fragrance of
sun kissed laundry
raises my spirits
and sets my soul free.

4 comments:

Deepak said...

to make a poem of clothes...
You are travelling in a different plane ma'am amazing work!

Srividya Sivakumar said...

hello deepak
you think so?thank you for your kind words!
it is a poem that has taken a long time to finish, the only one that has, so am glad you liked it.
thanks again.

Deepak said...

Well ma'am, all the poems of yours posted in this blog before this one, were topics that I have already come across... this one was different...

I have read a poem in tamil regarding clothes...

A poor boy says...

Meley irukkum jannalil evaavu thunigal,
Enathu thuniyil evalavu jannanlgal!

This one dealt more with povery...

So I could not take it as the one with clothes...

I feel this particular poem is exploring a different genre...

Something very new...

Karthick said...

well ya cloths do say a lot about a person degree of conservatism or liberalism,and definitley represent a strong correlation of their inherent personality.Well anyway good work ,I enjoyed reading it!!