I used to have a high-powered job
– smart blouses, skirts and suits
wool coats, court shoes, silk scarves, cashmere
and pairs of high-heeled boots
Lots of coats and hats in my wardrobe now!
But management was not for me
Nor cuts, nor staff, nor stress
So I gave it up to work from home
although the pay was less
And now inside my wardrobe
the fancy clothes are few
but there are some saggy cardies
and flowery tunics too.
The shoes I wear are flat, not heeled
my coat is waterproof
I dress for warmth and comfort
sometimes a bit uncouth
But clothes last so much longer
because when a tear appears
I simply stitch it back together
to last a few more years
I have got clothes to party in
that are new and never torn
but many of the things I wear
are very much well-worn
It’s part of being sustainable
to make things last and last
wearing disreputable trousers**
whose smartest days are past
So, don’t throw all those garments out
you don’t want your friends to see
wear them in the garden
or while you’re drinking tea
Textiles and clothes, yarn and fabric
are sources of pollution
so cut your use and buy less new
and be part of the solution
Reject the fashonistas, who
tell you to keep buying
minimise your purchases
you can if you keep trying
Choose natural dyes, organic fibres
good quality and then
repair, reuse, recycle
and only throw out when
there’s really nothing else to do
with those clothes you own,
but you’ll have made less impact
on the place that we call home
-oOo-
** This phrase came from Snuffkin’s blog post here, and thus she inspired me to write this poem
The Snail of Happiness 
itwasjudith
/ November 1, 2013love the poem 🙂 have a nice weekend!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 1, 2013Thank you… I am rarely driven to poetry, but the phrase ‘disreputable trousers’ was so evocative!!
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itwasjudith
/ November 1, 2013That’s true!
Isn’t it peculiar how the very same term can hold different connotations to people? I’m myself growing to be happy (proud?) of things that others would hold as not positive 🙂
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gentlestitches
/ November 2, 2013Oh what a lovely, clever poem!!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2013Thank you! Only the second on my blog, but they seem to be popular.
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FieryLaSirena
/ November 2, 2013Lovely! And I love the name of the poem!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2013Thank you, I cannot take credit for the title, but it was what inspired me.
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FieryLaSirena
/ November 17, 2013My husband came across an interesting website and I thought you might appreciate it as well. It’s of a shop, which sells secondhand clothing and there are several articles about mending on it. http://bandanna-almanac.com/
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 17, 2013Wow – I love the stuff about repairs.
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Diggitydigg
/ November 2, 2013lovely poem – it mirrors my own experience! and i have plenty of disreputable trousers myself, so i love the phrase.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2013Thank you!
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ravenjanedoh
/ November 3, 2013The older I get the more I like things that are comfortable and sustainable. With age comes wisdom.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 3, 2013too true!
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Jackie
/ November 6, 2013I love it! I’ve only just seen it and it made me smile.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 6, 2013Glad you like it!
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