The Pulley

by Hellon   Dec 10, 2015


Every day the pulley
would come up or down..
washing taken off to be ironed
while a fresh load was hung.

Mother was always busy
with the washing..
while the child in me
was fascinated by the squeaking
the strings made as
they were once more secured
and...

as a new load of washing was
hung above my head
I wheezed and slept
to find another day...

@Hellon 10th December 2015

http://www.hinges.co.uk/products/chapter/CH08.jpg

This is what a pulley looks like. Something I slept underneath in my early childhood :)

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Latest Comments

  • 8 years ago

    by Em

    A lovely piece based on memories. I love these.

    Beautifully written too.

    Em

  • 8 years ago

    by Ingrid

    Only in retrospect can we see the circumstances during our childhood as they were and the way they affected us.

    This had a very nostalgic feel to it and I am reading in between the lines you do not fault your parents for anything they may have done wrong or failed to realise.

    Well done,
    Ingrid

  • 8 years ago

    by Ben Pickard

    A very detailed little piece, Hellon. It's funny what we remember, isn't it? Sometimes the little things are what turn out to be the most vivid memories.
    All the best and take care,
    Ben

  • 8 years ago

    by Mr. Darcy

    Hello Hellon,

    we actually have one of these which I intend to fix up in our new kitchen extension. Instead of laundry we will be hanging our pots and pans onto it.

    Your poem comes across as if it is written from vivid memories of sight and sound. I bet whenever you see one you hear the squeaking pulley.

    The part that stands out for me is the other sound, the wheezing. This brings to mind a child who is ill, but more than this perhaps, a childhood filled with poor health. I also see the strings in more than a literal sense. I see them as the strings that bind us, keep us safe. A mother's love is that, the unconditional love that supports us and helps us through the tough times...

    I see this as a tribute to the strong strings of love, a mother's love.

    Take care,

    Michael ((hugs))

  • 8 years ago

    by Dagmar Wilson

    It takes me back to them days where I would watch old people washing their clothes. Then they would hang them outside. It was hard work, lifting the weight but it was fun to watch. What a lovely write. Enjoyed reading