Laughing It Off

CLOTHESLINES

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 company table clothes
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 nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.

It said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines
hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare.

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 hung on the line!

~Author Unknown from FunForwards.com