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
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Can I Dry Clean?
washing the clean linen in dirty water,
makes the clothes to be dirty and colored,
white clothe will invite the color of contrast,
color of the water that it is dipped into.
When we think of the ills and manipulate with evils,
the souls that are born white, will be colored,
when we wash the evil thoughts in evil solutions,
our souls will be soiled, colored and in illusion.
believing the color that we possess is the brightest,
If it is the brightest of white, as white is pure,
then it is all right, even if we are in other colors,
don't worry, it can be bleached to white.
White and black are two extreme colors,
with extreme characters and properties,
when the white reflects everything as good actions,
the black absorbs everything as the mother nature.
Between these two colors,
there are thousands of colors,
blending of seven colors of rain bow,
where we live and be happy and sorrow.
Washing the clean linen of any color,
in the water of dirt and sediment,
will make the linen dirty and soiled,
Where shall we find the clean water,
to wash our dirty souls of multiple colors?
poem by Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Dirty White Boy
Hey, baby, if youre feelin down
I know whats good for you all day
Are you worried what your friends see
Will it ruin your reputation lovin me
cause Im a dirty white boy
Yeah a dirty white boy
A dirty white boy
Dont drive no big black car
Dont like no hollywood movie star
You want me to be true to you
You dont give a damn what I do to you
Im just a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy
Well, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, yeah, dirty white boy
A dirty white boy
Ive been in trouble since I dont know when
Im in trouble now and I now somehow Ill find trouble again
Im a loner, but Im never alone
Every night I get one step closer to the danger zone
cause Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, yeah, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy
Cmon, cmon boy
Dirty white boy, white boy
Dirty white boy, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy
Hey, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, yeah, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy, yeah
song performed by by Foreigner
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Dirty Laundry Poem
This is the dirty laundry poem-
because we have traveled from town to town
accumulating soiled linen & sweaty shirts
& blue-jeans caked & clotted with our juice
& teeshirts crumpled by our gloriously messy passion
& underwear made stiff by all our joy.
I have come home to wash my clothes.
They patter on the bathroom floor like rain.
The water drips away the days till you.
The dirty water speaks to me of love.
Steamy in the bubbles of our love,
I have plunged my hands into hot water
as I might plunge them
in your heart.
After years of spots & splatters,
I am finally coming clean.
I will fly to you with a suitcase of fresh laundry,
strip my clothes off, heap them on the floor,
& let you scrub my body with your love.
poem by Erica Jong
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Sound Floats Across Water
Sound floats across water.
Water falls steadily.
Steadily skitters down drains
To drain energy.
Drain away existence.
The slow churning river we call life,
Churning ever on,
On to oblivion.
Oblivious the river flows
Drowns out the human cry.
Relentless in its rush to the sea.
See it empty,
Empty us,
Drown us.
Sink us with a wash of disappointment.
Washing our souls clean.
Washing us away.
Clean off the earth's face.
Faced with oblivion.
Forgotten we forget.
Lose ourselves.
Are lost.
Sound flows across water.
Copyright P H Brookes 2012
poem by Paul Brookes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Dirty Sheets, and Secrets
Be done with the dirty sheets.
Some secrets are not to meant to keep.
Violence has no restraints.
A bruise with no complaint.
Women quite quaint.
Be done with the dirty sheets.
Some secrets are not meant to keep.
Infidelity, a double cheat has his reasons indeed.
Never quite complete full of envy.
Theirs a tell tale sign jealousy.
He want nothing to do with you.
How many clues, how many?
Be done with the dirty sheets.
Some secrets are not meant to keep.
Keep the habit with such evil deeds.
Stealing the sun to buy the moon is just another impossibility.
He says he can't help it,
it taste and feels so sweet.
He has received the treatment.
What good did it do. How many clues, how many.
Be done with the dirty sheets.
Some secrets are not meant to keep.
Still you protect him, protect him.
Be done with the dirty sheets.
Some secrets are not meant to keep.
poem by Ace Of Black Hearts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Survial.
Water comes from the river origin is clean,
I wash my head.
Water comes from the river branch is dirty,
I wash my feet.
Oh sure, when water in the pool is clean,
I jump in to swim.
But, when the pool is dirty, I leave at once,
And quit my job.
Oh who’s the original source not let me clean?
Keep my head and body clean without water?
How can I keep my head clean in the river?
How can I keep my body clean in a pool?
What is going on about the water?
How could I live in this world?
poem by Albert Wong
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Ten Gallon a Day Habit (Fun Poem 127)
A pharmacist told my wife
who had a water infection
to drink plenty of water
when she took her meds.
Unfortunately, my wife is slightly deaf
and misinterpreted what he said.
She though he said
drink ten gallons of water a day.
When she asked me is that what he said,
I fell about in laughter
thinking of the volume
of what ten gallons of water implied.
I told her if she drank ten gallons water,
she’d be floating out of the toilet
at the end of the day.
(13 July 2011)
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
You Must Know The Fences Of My World
my world revolves around a fence
of 'nots'
not this, not that,
think, think a while, no compromises
do not stain a white cloth
do not display a dirty linen of the house
a dropp of ink can make your world dirty
a white sky, pure white sky, why should a black crow fly in there?
don't you make a waste of this clean life you have
this is the world i live in, a planet revolving to the mandate
of its orbits, no deviation, no running away, no escaping
not this, not that
don't do this don't do that
and now i have travelled that far and all wanting to see you
and look at you and hold you
despite the odds despite the rules and the prohibitions
and i ask for a kiss, just a kiss and tell me if you remember
i ask you why?
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Black and White (Stream XV)
I have black thoughts,
It is a black day,
A day when the black dog
Coal black, hovers at my shoulder.
I shoulder the burden.
Deep in the black hole.
Black as a black hearted night.
Negative.
Stark.
Black and white.
I do not call my good days white days.
Why?
Or have white thoughts
On a white day,
When the white dog
Pure white sits upon my shoulder.
Which is unburdened.
Out of the pit,
Luxuriating in the bright white light;
White as the purest snow.
Positive.
For we live in a too white world
Maybe we should have grey days,
And light days.
Why should Black be negative and White poitive?
For me then, today is a grey day.
Maybe tomorrow will be a light day.
Copyright P H Brookes 2012
poem by Paul Brookes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Homework
Homage to Kenneth Koch
If I were doing my Laundry I'd wash my dirty Iran
I'd throw in my United States, and pour on the Ivory Soap,
scrub up Africa, put all the birds and elephants back in
the jungle,
I'd wash the Amazon river and clean the oily Carib & Gulf of Mexico,
Rub that smog off the North Pole, wipe up all the pipelines in Alaska,
Rub a dub dub for Rocky Flats and Los Alamos, Flush that sparkly
Cesium out of Love Canal
Rinse down the Acid Rain over the Parthenon & Sphinx, Drain the Sludge
out of the Mediterranean basin & make it azure again,
Put some blueing back into the sky over the Rhine, bleach the little
Clouds so snow return white as snow,
Cleanse the Hudson Thames & Neckar, Drain the Suds out of Lake Erie
Then I'd throw big Asia in one giant Load & wash out the blood &
Agent Orange,
Dump the whole mess of Russia and China in the wringer, squeeze out
the tattletail Gray of U.S. Central American police state,
& put the planet in the drier & let it sit 20 minutes or an
Aeon till it came out clean
poem by Allen Ginsberg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Did My Part
====================================================================
=====
He wore starched white shirts buttoned at the neck
He'd sit in the shade and watch the chickens peck
His teeth were gone but what the heck
I thought that he walked on water
Said he was a cowboy when he was young
Could handle a rope and he was good with a gun
And my momma's daddy was his oldest son
And I thought that he walked on water
If the story is told only heaven knows
But his hat seemed to me like an old halo
And though his wings they were never seen
I thought that he walked on water
He tied a cord to the end of a map
Said,
song performed by by Randy Travis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Thirst
My spirit wails for water, water now!
My tongue is aching dry, my throat is hot
For water, fresh rain shaken from a bough,
Or dawn dews heavy in some leafy spot.
My hungry body's burning for a swim
In sunlit water where the air is cool,
As in Trout Valley where upon a limb
The golden finch sings sweetly to the pool.
Oh water, water, when the night is done,
When day steals gray-white through the windowpane,
Clear silver water when I wake, alone,
All impotent of parts, of fevered brain;
Pure water from a forest fountain first,
To wash me, cleanse me, and to quench my thirst!
poem by Claude McKay
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Dirty Water
Baby-every time you think- you're thinking
dirty and low down, baby if you don't pull yourself
out of that-dirty water, then you're gonna drown.
Baby you're in that dirty water
and you're sinking, baby its all because of
your dirty thinking-
Baby its easy- to go crazy-when you lose
your mind, baby just-
get out of that- dirty water
and leave all that dirt behind-
poem by Dorsey Baker
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My Tears are not Limpid! !
My tears weigh
it seems like stones
are not jewels or pure water
Are Hurt!
are not poetic
as the poet's words
nor beautiful as his pace
Are rude!
soak you with sadness
insist on being there
dirty water of sorrow
neap tides
still water
rainy season
body of water
In tears I drown myself
Not limpid or crystalline
dirty with my grieve
A vessel out of control
Trembling in my heart!
poem by Mirna Morgan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Pearls Girl
Rioja. rioja. reverend al green.
Deep blue morocco. the water on stone.
The water on concrete. the water on sand.
The water on fire. smoke.
The wind. the salt. the bride boat coming.
Dave in the water. old man.
Einstein on top of his house. white deep blue
Andalusia red yellow red yellow black car.
Red light. far. black place. walls. blue chair.
Morocco. hamburg. paris.
The pieces of the puzzle are waiting.
The water of the dark boats gliding.
The bride boats gone out to sea and
Dave is floating. dave is floating.
And old man einstein crazy in his attic.
Crazy.
White room. sun room. shadow room.
Night transmitting cars across the room.
These things sent to dance across the room.
Eye watching from your bed. returning to you.
song performed by by Underworld
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Waterborne love with Neptune’s Daughter
I’m goin’ wash you
right outa my hair
I’m goin ‘to wash you right outa’
this torrid affair,
I’m goin’ wash my hands
of you untrue
Once made my mouth water,
the likes of you,
You held my love like water
on a ducks back
You conniving water nymph
dressed in black,
Plying your waterborne love,
in you I did trust
Lying on your waterbed
goading my lust,
My God I knew this would
not hold water
Are you really the delinquent
Neptune’s daughter,
Swimming off with that
water canon hulk
Hope your water course leads
to the Isle of Sulk.
Now I feel like a water holding
frog waiting for rain
To swim in rivers of
love again and again,
With my tear filled water pistol
I’ll aim at you,
To water you down,
finally meeting your Waterloo.
poem by Ken e Hall
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Wash Yourself
Wash yourself and make yourself clean,
And appear before me with your nakedness and let me love you;
For the faithful city has now become a harlot and,
Your wine is now mixed with water!
You've sold yourself to many and,
Of your beautiful bush which now lay bare;
But everything in life is for a season.
As white as snow and as red as crimson,
But do work towards your dreams always and be clean;
For the smell of your muse is now heard everywhere!
And i want you to wash yourself and be clean.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Then Fly Away
They fly away on thinking doubts,
With celebrations that relish the relics
They have worshipped, that their sound can concoct.
Days come by the edge of a river,
As if startled were the animals when too late
To run from the moon’s spirit
That awakens by night, always by night.
It is now silence. The water mutters all the pulses of washing,
coming from the water’s gauge,
He lives with the instruments and the gauge
To live with him, and doubts do shape his skull
When the water is not dirty and when dirty he admits
What the river wanted.
The flies are around.
The river is never around.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Clean white sheets
Clean white sheets upon my bed
cradle my body but not my head.
My head's never cradled. It's too full.
It's too noisy. There is no lull.
I wash them routinely every week.
If I hung them outside the neighbors would speak.
Their words would complement the sight
of clean white sheets I use at night.
But they don't know how I'm awake
and how those sheets never give me a break.
I make the bed up and I think
'If only I could catch a wink.'
I'd praise those sheets on every day
and finally I'd be able to say.
'Clean white sheets upon my bed
you've found a way to cradle my head.'
poem by Edwina Reizer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Need Water
Scorching hot summer’s day
Devastation struck on our holiday.
Water, water running out
No more water left about.
Where is water?
What to do?
Stressing, thirsty, hungry too.
Need a shower!
Need a drink!
But there is no time to think.
Running, running to the store
“No more water” written on the door.
I need water, but there’s none,
Definitely not having fun.
Feeling dirty!
Feeling sick!
Needing something so basic.
Water, water I need you
Then I’ll be as good as new.
Water, water always there,
Once it’s gone we’re made aware
Wasting water is not right
Now it’s gone I’ve seen the light.
I need water to survive
I’m lucky to be alive!
poem by Salvatore Mazzeo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!