“A cotton anorak?”
the hipster outdoorman looks questionly at her.
a fashion statement or a wish
for simplicity.
But he says:
“No, I just have heard
about that stuff”
The young girl looks
forlorn among the plastic
high-tech Gore-Tex neon
stuff
All she wanted was
the ski clothes that
her grandmother had –
on the photograph she found-
cleaning out after the funeral.
A statement to be retrochic
and remember – be like
granny – young and sweet.
Could she do that in
neon plastic wear?
She left.
From the internet
Today at dVerse poetics Claudia want us to go out and write sketches. I did this while waiting for my wife trying clothes in an outdoor equipment store. The girl coming in looking for a cotton anorak is true, as is the bewilderment of the sales guy. Written without editing – just ink on paper (a real challenge for me). Come and join us at 3 PM EST.
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February 8, 2014
Björn Rudbergs writings 
This is a very good sketch poem. I feel for the girl who wants to preserve something in affection for her granny.
Thank you.. i hope it was really the reason.. but she looked so sweet and forlorn. among all that synthetic stuff.
smiles….cool sketch of the moment…there is something endearing in her wanting to be like her grandmother on some level…perhaps a bit less plastic…as the world is now in many ways…
Somehow … that what the scene felt like…
reads well and makes me wonder about ‘how fashion dictates’ ~ great post Bjorn ~ xxx
I am exploring WordPress ~ are you happy with this platform???
I have never tried any other.. Some basic HTML is needed to make it look really nice for poetry I think – but I prefer it to blogspot..
I like how you’ve tied fashion and comfort to meaning here.
I think that’s the advantage of a sketch.
I am very impressed with a young woman who wanted to wear ski clothes that her grandmother had! This is a granddaughter ‘after my own heart.’
Cotton anoraks are quite popular still … and they are still made…
I like this ‘sketch’ very much. I read it as a search for authenticity in the here and now, not just longing for the past or a granny.
I think it’s a little bit of both.
You’re right.
how cool… in a way i can understand her.. even though cotton is not really practical for sports wear…the new stuff is much better…still… very cool sketch of the moment björn
Cotton is actually very good as the outer layer a long a it’s no too wet. I have a cotton jacket when I bicycle… but underneath I have wool
Very sweet poem, Björn! I like the story we can imagine, the context behind the words.
I like to make up stories about people I see…
really enjoyed this. Haven’t heard the word “retrochic” before, but it was quite clear what the word meant. May have to add that to my vocabulary!
Probably not a correct word… 🙂
Poets don’t always have to use correct words 🙂
Yes /retrochic/ is a marvelous poetic nonsense word, brother; I do that myself often, one of the perks of being a poet. This is a very poignant sketch poem, and it touches on a very significant state of mind, that as we continue our growth, accepting cars that park themselves, and doing video conferences on our smart phones, that we do not forget or dismiss the past, which has shaped our lives; something more than nostalgia, like owning a classic car, that you drive on sunny days, and wave back at people giving the high sign.
Actually retro-chic exist in the dictionary… but writing it together make it a little different.
how very original. You made good use of the time that you had to sit and wait for your wife to buy her outfit. Yes, cotton ski clothes don’t hack it anymore these days. Unless it were waxed with a down padding 🙂
You did great with it, too, Bjorn!
I can see the expression on the sales clerks face and feel the girls disappointment – wonderful scene! K
Nicely done. We all get caught up in moments of pleasing. I love the imagery.
It’s nice to see younger people interested in vintage clothing as in the photo of the ski resort….very cool sketch Bjorn.
The army is still using cotton. She should enlist!
That was a situation worthy of picturing. And your sketch is very nice. I hope it becomes a regular poem. You know, the cotton like.
Sweet lovely story.
You caught the scene & conversations ~ I like that she knows what she wants ~
I love the emotion you captured … the girl wanting to remember her grandmother … and also vividly described, lovely sketch in words 🙂
You really did capture the moment. Going to give this a try tomorrow if I can.
This poem picked me up, moved fast, and wouldn’t let me go until the end. (The swiftness and immediacy of a sketch, I guess, lol.)
I like retrochic….Granny looks very elegant in that gear..men used to ski in suits and ties in the 20s….I have a picture of one of my relatives.
Great opening line..really set up the scene..i guess i is always hard to recreate something special we have lost..
Aww. Some styles of yesteryear just looked so cool, even if not the most practical. And yet, sometimes things used to be better too! Great capture of the moment Bjorn.
Lovely Bjorn.