Lanier Thomas Poet Ode

An Ode To Our Hanging Laundry

An Ode To Our Hanging Laundry

Like the colorful banners of knights of old
Surrounded by their heralds and mesnie bold,
Our laundry doth wave on the clothes hanging lines
As if it too is meant for heraldic signs.

The socks are displayed like pennoncelle.
All our intimate secrets playful to tell.
Our underwear are our prideful banderole
As if we are knights-errant out on patrol.

Our banner of arms are our shirts hanging free.
They declare our wealthlessness for all to see.
The pants are hung as our heraldic standard.
In them we are wont to go a wee dandered. 

Without our clothes hung for all to gaily see
How are we to know who it is that we be?

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Joseph P. DiMino December 11, 2025 at 7:35 AM Clothing makes the person, I remember hearing when I was growing up. Don't know if that is a saying anymore. Lanier Thomas December 11, 2025 at 8:24 PM It does! But in our case, what we are made is on public display! Hahaha!

Lanier Thomas December 8, 2025 at 8:48 PM Dandered in British English means strolling, wee dandered means a little strolling. It can also mean shivering, and angry, but those don't fit the context, here.

Sara Kendrick November 9, 2025 at 7:41 AM Good one. I got a chuckle. I can remember as a child my mother would hang sheets on the first line then hand sheets on the last line and get in the middle to hang the person items so they would not be signaling to the whole neighborhood and those who passed by. Sara K Lanier Thomas November 10, 2025 at 6:41 AM I'm glad you liked it and found humor in it. My wife still likes to use the line instead of that expensive dryer I bought. This poem was fun to write.