Many poems are on hand in the books on my shelf, and they deserve re-reading. I was surprised to find, in the back of Wendy Cope's Serious Concerns (which has been with me since 1993), a few lines about what was definitely an ongoing and serious concern of my own. (The title is an afterthought.)
The State of His Socks
I am very particular
about my beloved's socks.
They must not be
worn out, short, or thin;
they must not be
pilled, or rubbed, or crumpled;
or beige.
My beloved's feet deserve
a cared-for cushion of comfort
to carry him through the day.
Lovely Margaret. Socks have been on my mind over the festive season as both of my sons have been at home. It is surprising how many black, and blackish, socks are in the washing for three men. Happily they all do their own sorting out, so I did not inspect for pilling, crumpling, or holes!
ReplyDeleteThanks to your post, I recognized Wendy Cope's name this afternoon while I was searching for a Desert Island Disc podcast to listen to while I worked on some sewing. I shall be looking for one of her books soon. I am doing my usual winter house sitting gig here on Vancouver Island and the town nearby has a few very nice second hand bookstores. Thanks for the Poetry Thursdays, I have been sent on a few missions to check up on poets.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Laura. Doing the Thursday posts sends me, too, on missions to find out more about poets. They rise up in all sorts of places - poems mentioned in BBC podcasts, especially - or maybe it's just that I listen to a lot of those!
ReplyDeleteI have happy memories of visits to Vancouver Island - a friend lives in Comox, a sister-in-law used to live near Nanaimo, more family on Denman, another friend in Victoria, and my brother moved to Quadra. It's a big place...