Regrets remains
in its jaundiced collar
and the cuffs
too frayed,
too greyed
it’s off-white now with
Bolognese stains
, a missing button
mildly mildew scented
, but still
I hope
& add detergent
, bleach
, warm-wash, hoping
that maybe once again
to sense that scent
of sun & you,
Sunday sleep-drunk
sipping coffee-smiles
, while
dressed in white of this
, my lonesome shirt.
Amedeo Modigliani
Today De hosts at dVerse with a prompt on Laundry at dVerse, welcome to take a spin with us all.
March 30, 2021
Björn Rudbergs writings 
No wonder this shirt was lonesome, Björn! I feel sorry for it, such a sorry item of clothing; it seems was somewhat neglected in the laundry department. I’m so glad there’s detergent and bleach to hand. What a great ending, too!
This is SO good, B. The scent of regret, with a fine-starched whiff of hope.
I’m drawn to the personalization and homeliness of the shirt and what it means to the holder of it. That is a beautiful painting, such lovely lines and colors.
This is absolutely stellar writing, Bjorn 😀 I love the poignancy of “warm-wash, hoping that maybe once again to sense that scent of sun & you.”💝💝
So sad to think of this lonesome shirt trying to conjure up memories of fragrant lovestruck days… smells are very strongly attached to memory.
It’s amazing how inanimate objects can carry meaning. Though I have to say, that shirt definitely needs a good wash!
How beautiful this is!
“Sunday sleep-drunk” … what a gorgeous line
Excellent piece.
My head’s in spin cycle. Awesome work, BR.
Great poem Bjorn. The feeling of loss and the scent of the past is always there I always say those old shirts are like a hug to me when I wear them.
How well you describe this shirt Bjorn. You gave it character and an emotional connection.
What a fantastic metaphor!
A lovely romance poem. 🙂 It reminds me a little of Leonard Cohen – “Waiting for Marianne” – in which he has lost a telephone with her smell in it. A poetic and nostalgic and evocative take on the prompt.
We all have something like that and we cannot bear to part with it. I loved the ending ☺️
Loved this, especially
‘Sunday sleep-drunk
sipping coffee-smiles’
Love the second stanza of being positive to correct the situation of the Bolognese stains.
Hank
Björn,
These lines (and the lines you inserted into them) are perfect. I love them.
❤
David
Such heartfelt longing in a humble shirt. I especially liked coffee-smiles. If that’s not a thing before. It is now!
Such heartfelt longing in a humble shirt. I especially liked coffee-smiles. If that’s not a thing before. It is now! ❤️
I love all the feeling and memories mixed with the stains, and the longing the shirt feels. Wonderful image to go with it, too.
This was a vivid poem for me, and I kept seeing the shirt. Your ending on this was so wistful and lovely.