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,

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Danusia and the brickworks

Kipling, who made comments about big guns and so many other politically inappropriate things it would be impossible to include them here, once visited Medicine Hat and declared that it had all hell for a basement. It does have natural gas, and a flame is constantly lit in the coulees to mark the spot. Some say it is a waste of gas, but at least you can actually tell the whisperer by his flame. Harder to pin down is the wind. In southern Alberta they say the cows sleep standing up because of the wind. And you only know there isn't a breeze when you get bit by a sand fly. Here I met Danusia, the daughter of Polish combatant, who, along with her childhood girlfriend Bogusia, sold Toni home perms and L'Oreal hair colour to fellow children of displaced persons, who cut hair and did it up just so in the Flats, where it flooded every Spring, or thereabouts. Danka and Bugsy were married, as was the custom, to strapping Polish lads who worked at the IXL brickworks, where red

Of course she's not a true red

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I double dog dare ya

I double dog dare ya to repeat the story you heard in 3 Trees the shop of Indian incense and beeswax crayons from Germany perhaps a source for Waldorf or Montessori Nepali filigree or Balinese woven silver and semi-precious gems cut loose dresses and butterfly pants from Indonesia or somewhere similarly hot and breezy and yoga cushions maybe made locally and unmentionable remarks harder to tell than listen to I think it was a tall woman of subcontinent ancestry who was trying on bras and dresses and saying she was generally pleased at the selection and the clerk who replied yeah who knew Asian women have boobs and height and take up space and commisserated with her customer who mentioned she didn't think men looked for a mirror to see how their bum looks before deciding and buying down the risk she knowingly showed to me I was there for the sale half price and no tax the gift they give 3 times a year to generate so

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