Coverings

Last night
I saw
on the back of Randall's

a sign
indicating
they do cabinetry and paint
wallpaper
furniture and window coverings
and other things
I noted window coverings
guessing
after a while
that this must refer to curtains
or drapes
soft furnishings
all in good taste

settled though
this point was
in my mind
I thought
for a moment
how like
clothing
wallpaper and curtains are
showing
walls and windows
to best effect
giving privacy
and yet
projecting style
eliciting respect
even admiration
on the choice
or the co-ordination
or the accents
or basic
tiebacks and pleats

so like
personality
the coverings
for windows and walls
or the clothes
we pick out
and eventually wear
for modesty
covering cleavage

or camouflage
dressing like
everybody else
to blend in

Image result for crowd wearing jeans and t-shirt

for show
leaving no curve or crevice
to the imagination

Image result for skinny girl in yoga pants

to make a statement
emo or goth
white and red and black

or quietly evoke
signalling silence
or truce

Image result for provocatively dressed women

either way

looks carry

our response

to suffering

or shame

while testifying

we carry on

regardless

of hurt

or pain,

Comments

Animals and aliens

When you think of Orwell's Animal Farm , you get stuck on the idea of some being more equal than others. But world peace, galactic harmony, the celebration of diversity and the active practice of inclusion are all achieved in science fiction by casting minorities in the role of animals and aliens. Star Trek comes to mind in this regard, where even hippies were disposed of, Federation style, as sensitive dissenting aliens, not forgetting Spock with his pointy ears! And then there were Wookiees, still man's best friend. Viewing animals as humans--anthropomorphizing--or treating different races as aliens, all of this is shape shifting. This shape is my shade, there where I used to stand--that's Steely Dan.

Of course she's not a true red

As the parent of a "ginger", and having red heads on both sides of the family, and having married into two Irish families, I know first hand that ginger covers the whole spectrum from strawberry blonde (to my way of thinking a classic ginger!), to orange (carrot tops), to a real rust red (what my father in law would call a true red). When Pat Todkill first set eyes on his granddaughter, he remarked, "Of course, she's not a true red". For one thing, Emily the Elder lacked freckles on her face and upper body. For another, she really was and is a strawberry blonde. A further observation. Even people with the raven blackest hair have rust red lights--caveman red, soot covered ochre if you like. Woolly mammoth red. Sometimes it takes just the right light to pick out the smoldering ember, but beard and eyebrows tend to incorporate the tell tale ginger strain, like chili pepper in a spice jar of mixed pepper corns. And, of course, brunette...

Things always end in the Summer

In the middle of the second major heatwave of the season, the City cut the wildflowers along the footpath. I mean they cut everything 30 inches on either side of the pavement, but since the flowers were my friends, all I saw was that they cut the flowers, even though they actually mowed indiscriminately. And it must have been a chore for the labourer in this heat, so his feet were heavy when he made hay of the prettiest parts of the Summer. But I can't get to that right now; I'm still reeling from the loss of chicory, and the other pinks and yellows and blues whose names I was just beginning to learn. "Program, get your program", I heard the barker call on my way to the bleachers. I turned once and caught his eye, and looked at the program in his hand and back into his eyes--all the while his eyes following mine--but then he looked back to his hand, and again into my eyes and he said "You can't tell the player without a card"! Did it matter that ...

Search This Blog

Coverings

Labels

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Animals and aliens

Of course she's not a true red

Things always end in the Summer