Blind Lace



Delicate thread needles blinding eyes into vanity’s lace.


Young girls’ dreams drown
in watered light to insure
wrists and throats are adorned.

Fashion raises a haughty cheek
to the lips of coin and demand
without concern its frills sentence
youth to a prison cell of shadows.

On pillowed laps feminine hands
twist and cross until vision
is threaded into ruins of lace.

©Susie Clevenger 2014

Real Toads ~ Bits Of Inspiration ~ Lace



Comments

Anonymous said…
The history of lace is really an inspiration and it this case it's inspired a very nice piece.
May 7, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Susan said…
To the point! Powerful indictment.
May 7, 2014 at 12:53 PM
Kerry O'Connor said…
The last three lines are a powerful conclusion to this poem of protest, Susie.
May 7, 2014 at 1:26 PM
Kathryn Dyche said…
threaded into ruins of lace . . . powerful.
May 7, 2014 at 2:18 PM
Hannah said…
Powerful indeed Susie! Thank you for the intriguing challenge.
May 7, 2014 at 2:59 PM
Jim said…
Thank you again Susie. This time for adding oomph to your original description of the abusive use of the women laborers, and even of child labor. These conditions are still prevalent in our world manufacturing of now.

I am glad too that many are using that theme for their writing.
..
May 7, 2014 at 3:13 PM
Sumana Roy said…
the contrast between vanity's lace and a prison cell of shadows tells
the true story of the ruins of lace.
...powerful words Susie...
May 7, 2014 at 10:18 PM
Grandmother Mary said…
This type of lace is still being made in parts of Italy. I watched an elderly woman making pillow lace on an Island off the coast of Venice.
May 8, 2014 at 4:08 AM
cosmos cami said…
This prompt was eye-opening.
You did a beautiful job.
May 8, 2014 at 8:09 AM
Maude Lynn said…
This is really powerful, Susie.
May 8, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Margaret said…
"to the lips of coin and demand"… Powerful!
May 8, 2014 at 10:42 AM
Sherry Blue Sky said…
So powerful, the girls' dreams dying, vision being threaded into the lace. Wowzers!
May 8, 2014 at 10:48 AM
Helen said…
Ah, the price they paid for others to adorn their bodies ... beautiful write, Susie.
May 8, 2014 at 11:06 AM
Grace said…
Thanks for the historical notes on lace Susie ~ I didn't realize such fine work was made out of hard work & eventually blindness ~ Really a good challenge, thanks ~
May 8, 2014 at 4:24 PM
signed...bkm said…
On pillowed laps...oh what was sacrificed for the art of it...thankful for their work - and the beauty they left behind...bkm
May 8, 2014 at 4:43 PM
Anonymous said…
it's the last verse that struck me the most, Susie ~
May 9, 2014 at 2:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Truly sad to think what so many had to give up for others to dress in pretty fashion.
May 9, 2014 at 11:44 AM
Anonymous said…
Such terrible irony here--the prison cell of shadows. My vision is so bad - I found this kind of a scary poem--but very powerful. What a crazy world it has been and is. Thanks very much, Susie. k.
May 10, 2014 at 9:32 AM
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