A clothesline was a news forecast to neighbors passing by
There were no secrets you could keep when clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by to spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the "fancy sheets" and towels upon the line
You'd see the "company table cloths" with intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth from folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung so carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could so readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, you'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck as extra sheets were hung
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too, haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "On vacation now," when lines hung limp and bare
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged with not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon if wash was dingy and gray
As neighbors carefully raised their brows and looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past for dryers make work much less
Now what goes on inside a home is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life, it was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best... by what hung out on that line.
There were no secrets you could keep when clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by to spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the "fancy sheets" and towels upon the line
You'd see the "company table cloths" with intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth from folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung so carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could so readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, you'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck as extra sheets were hung
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too, haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "On vacation now," when lines hung limp and bare
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged with not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon if wash was dingy and gray
As neighbors carefully raised their brows and looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past for dryers make work much less
Now what goes on inside a home is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life, it was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best... by what hung out on that line.
