'Made in India'

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Mon, 05 Oct 2015
  • 3387 reads
10 comments
 
Treat myself to a new dress
for my niece’s twenty-first. 
 
Was a giveaway for what it was...
hand embroidered flowers on pink satin, 
with sequins and beads.
 
‘Made in India’ the label read;
in one of the pockets, a slip of paper 
Inspected by No. 23.
 
Try to imagine what they look like – 
No. 23...chatting to No. 24, perhaps, 
about family... kids; how the youngest
is teething – keeping them up all night
 
and that pretty soon, god willing,
there’d be yet another mouth to feed,
another bowl of rice to find.
 
Maybe, I should tell them – a small daisy,
on the sleeve was missing a petal,
and the thread had snagged
on a couple of roses...
 
or maybe, remind myself and No. 23
of the words of  Leonard Cohen:
 
‘There’s a crack in everything so the light 
gets through’, 
 
but I doubt they’d hear me over the whir
of the sewing machines as they
thread another bead...
Certificate PG
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Philosophy
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

If the dress could speak … ! Autobiography of a dress, made (by hand) in far-off India. Enjoyed the thoughts, so little made by hand these days, but can muse on the history of so much we acquire. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

If clothes could speak...now there's a thought, Rhiannon...many thanks for yours.

Tina

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

There's a story behind every handmade garment. I think you well expressed those thoughts in this poem Tina.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Jenny.  How right you are about those storiessmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Pat G on

Such a brilliant starting point with the inspection tag, then the thoughts spreading like unfast dye.

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Your thoughts, as ever, inspired, Pat.

Tina

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

The story of faraway persons working - perhaps slaving - in an Indian cloth factory, told in a chatty way as if the author is actually there near or on the assembly line. Very effective.

Luigi xxx

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hello, Luigi.  You have brightened my dreary daysmiley  You hit the nail right on the head with those words of yours.

Tina xxx

 

Submitted by Bee on

Other lives we take for granted, ultimately appreciated here, and I loved the visual details. 

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

So true, what you say, Bee  Thank you sharing your thoughts.

Tina