Questions Unanswered
Ah those days of starched shirts
Of water boiling in the copper,
And soap-flakes snow-white
And the mangle in the corner
Like a medieval implement of torture
Waiting to grind and squeeze.
And granny's hair wrapped in cloth
The goodly housewife at work
Hands red, hot water immersed,
Sweated in the washing room.
Each Mondays Herculean task
The stringing on lines for all to see
Of pure white sheets rinsed in Dolly Blue.
To wash the families dirty linen clean.
But never speak of the true dirty secrets
That scrubbing could not undo,
That gallons of bleach could not erase
Nor boiling water wipe out.
The lies told to protect
Which ended up hurting.
The scars though healed still itch.
The front of respectability kept up
But its upkeep too heavier price too heavy
Leaving me with unanswered questions.
Copyright P H Brookes 2012.
poem by Paul Brookes
Added by Poetry Lover
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