Thursday, December 17, 2009

history


Enough
.
.

Mine is more
than just penny loafers,
and knee socks.

It's buckskin leggin's,
moose hair moccasins,
face paint, hair beads,

the loyal uniform
of South Carolina,
yellow captain's patch
and Yankee doodle.

It's muslin skirts
and lace up boots,
under soiled aprons
and a fresh batch
of determination.

It's dungarees,
sweat on the brow,
dirt under rough
nails and plow
of the pioneer spirit,

fueled by raw hell-fire
circuit preachers
with their backward collars,
and the keen eyes

of Hoosier surveyors
and photographers,
shaded with kerchief ties
and straw hats;

and it's enough.
Mine is a wardrobe
of America.
.
.
.
willow, 2009
.
.
For more Theme Thursday participants click [HERE].
.
image from Flickr by zombielace

73 comments:

  1. Saaaaaay! Pretty good! A history of clothing and I'm sure a lot dear to you, yes? Awesome take on the theme, Willow :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great survey of American history in clothing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. hice jaunt through your history through the clothes...definitely a cool take on the theme!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really like this one, Willow. (Funny, at lunch just now I was thinking about the book LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE and thinking about the significant outfits of my past -- though I didn't get into past lives . . .)

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have a lot there to jog memories. Thanks for the visit.

    I didn't really hunker down. I can't do that these days. I can bend over but then have to huff and puff for a few minutes and even take a breathing treatment to get my lungs back to working. So this photo was one of the bent over jobs. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  6. A great journey through time, via your ancestor's fashions. Good job, willow!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love your blog...excellent poem!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is really VERY good, Willow. And "dungarees"! I don't think I've heard that term since my late mother used it years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  9. lovely trip through your ancestors history. in the photo, is that a tatoo on the side of the foot?

    ReplyDelete
  10. As a blog friend from UK, willow, I would just like to see you in some of these clothes - bet you would look fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a fabulous idea for a poem and excellently worked out. It is the ideal length, clean cut, breathes easily and says it all. Congrats.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you, Dave. Coming from a poet, it means a lot~! :^)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the way you incorporate history into you tale
    seeing yourself as part of a continuum
    I feel this more and more
    just a little spark/cog
    in something bigger.
    By the way, a super Christmas card just arrived in NY

    ReplyDelete
  14. God Bless You,,
    That was fantastic.. America

    so illuminating loved it.
    Yvonne

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your poetry is rich with colourful imagery and the fragrance of fashion.
    I think it's great.

    ReplyDelete
  16. another history lesson...weeee. Great poetry--you're becoming a master!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love how this starts. It sets the tone, it tells some things, but also tells you there is more...

    You're a clever smither!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wardrobe of America? Minus the Zhivago hat, of course. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love this poem. It's beautiful and evocative and well written. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is lovely Willow. I don't know why but it feels so rich - like thick home-made ice-cream. Rich words for such a rich history.

    ReplyDelete
  21. A picture beautifully painted in so few words, the essence of poetry. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I like the theme for this poem Willow and the poem too

    ReplyDelete
  23. I want to know more about the picture! Are those your shoes?

    ReplyDelete
  24. We are a very diverse nation. It was interesting how you pointed out the cultures through clothing!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Otin, I included my own American ancestry in this piece. Fun, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Love this, Willow! The language and images are fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Strut your threads, willow, strut your threads, with a fresh batch of determination, strut your threads ...

    Beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  28. Oooh...very nice! I can see each ancestor you speak of!

    I just bought myself a pair of penny loafers last week...Bass Weejuns. Need to put the pennies in! :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Willow--I will reiterate Sukipoet's question: is that a tattoo on the side of your foot? It looks like writing of some sort. Tell us about it. I never saw a tattoo in any of the photos of your feet in the bathtub (or maybe I just didn't look hard enough). I love that you have Cherokee in you. My husband does too. We are still trying to find definite proof of some of it. Hard to do with Indian names sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Suki and Teri, although these do look exactly like my feet, I give credit to the source at the end of the post. I think this is the first time I've not had a pair of penny loafers since I was 10, or I would have taken the pic myself! :^)

    ReplyDelete
  31. "fueled by raw hell-fire
    circuit preachers
    with their backward collars,
    and the keen eyes"
    Oh Willow, that is SO GOOD.
    I love this piece!

    ReplyDelete
  32. You have done a great job of capturing history. We all have a unique history woven through our lives that affects us to this day. I love how you weave yours throgh the costumes of your ancestors.
    I thought those were your feet, too. and was curious about the tatoo. Maybe you should get one : ) Happy Theme Thursday!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Great poem, I liked a lot the idea, the content, made me think. I guess clothes (specially the ones us woman wear) are a trendy and sexy as we make them by transparently showing how we evaluate them.

    Cheers
    M

    ReplyDelete
  34. Delightful! Should be a song, I love the words, it has a catch rhythm

    ReplyDelete
  35. Willow,
    Great creative idea: a history take on past attire. Great job!
    Poetry comes so natural for you!
    The Bach

    ReplyDelete
  36. A very excellent poem. Says so much and so well. you are truly gifted, Willow. I get this and it is profound. What a tapestry we all come from, hey?!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Willow,
    Well done lady; well done indeed!
    A clever ode to your ancestary!
    rel

    ReplyDelete
  38. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I could visualise so easily nearly every line - a lovely poem

    ReplyDelete
  40. MAGNIFIQUE!!Really beautiful poem Willow!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hello Willow,

    I really enjoyed this stanza:

    'It's dungarees,
    sweat on the brow,
    dirt under rough
    nails and plow
    of the pioneer spirit,'

    Although I'm sure the dirty nails doesn't apply to you!

    ReplyDelete
  42. you wove quite a beautiful suit! wonderfully wrought

    ReplyDelete
  43. Nice penny loafers. And yes--it's enough. Well said. Love the accompanying photo next to the feet--perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Great take on the theme. Interesting how you use a specific thing (clothes) to describe the whole (history of America). Nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  45. You help me remember that all of us are rich in family history, even if the particulars have been lost over time.

    What a gift!! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  46. boy do these shoes bring back memories-- I came from Hawaii to college way back when-- and I remember buying my first pair of shoes at college-- penny loafers-- and when it snowed I kept slipping and falling-- a LOT-- no grip on the bottoms!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Willow, I cannot get over my good fortune to have found you and all the talented bloggers I have met. Your talent is amazing to me and probably just second nature to you. I like to write poetry too, but nothing near your status. I am sure learning though. I have many stashed away I could work on. Thanks for sharing your talent.
    QMM

    ReplyDelete
  48. Wow! I hadn't thought of penny loafers in years until seeing this picture...Now, that's taking me on a definite stroll down 1980's memory lane:0

    The poem is wonderful, Willow!

    Happy TT

    ReplyDelete
  49. Willow, your poetry is amazing. This was is deep and filled with great emotion. I felt it. It touched me. I understand. Hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  50. What an interesting take on your history! Clothes do make the woman or man in some sense.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Beautiful words and photos. Merry Christmas and have a lovely New Year, Cheers, Lori Recycle, repair, re-use.

    ReplyDelete
  52. What a unique way to walk through history; I loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Excellent! What a wonderful way to describe our American history!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Lovely...Happy Thursday to you!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Beautiful Willow. Sending you a big kiss and a hug for the holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  56. So well writ. A history in every garb.
    Thanks for the trip! -J

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hey, thanks everybody. It's always such a pleasure to share my poetry with all of you. You make it so easy! I appreciate your generous comments.

    Now, about that tattoo on my foot...maybe I should think about getting one?

    ReplyDelete
  58. I like this history!

    Everyone could use a "fresh batch of determination" here and there.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Just great, Willow! You've changed up your look, too. I haven't been around much lately; trying to visit a little tonight before falling into bed. Long long days lately; and short nights. Hope to rest up this weekend. Blessings on you and yours, Willow. your blog is a sweet blessing.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Yes, yes, yes. I used to be a moccasin man myself (and will be again, just give me time :-D) so I loved this poem. Many thanks. Your joruney through American history through clothes was great.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Willow,
    Chestnuts roasting on an open Fire is better by MEL TORME That is my favorite song. Torme had a great voice but, was down right RUDE. Beautiful post as usual.
    I so enjoy the things you do,
    Yvonne

    ReplyDelete
  62. An absolute delight Willow......thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  63. a fresh batch of determination

    i do like that

    ReplyDelete
  64. Hi! Willow,
    What a nice, "strong" poem...that you shared with your readers, and a look back at your family... history.
    Happy! TT
    DeeDee ;-D

    ReplyDelete

Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)