Friday, October 5, 2018

Little Lovely Leggings

Poems below if you are in a hurry! But this is a bit of background story.

My granddaughter dresses herself, and has for quite some time.  She is, after all, 4 years old.  She reminds me so much of my daughter - her mother - in so many ways.  The most obvious way is in her choice of clothing.  She has her own fashion sense, as many little girls do.  I enjoy seeing what she will pick out to wear when I am visiting.  She often changes clothes once or twice a day, which also reminds me of my daughter, and actually my grandmother - one outfit is not a "one moment fits all" kind of thing.  It could be tutu time.  Shopping is a different thing and may require different clothes from eating supper or coloring.

The last time I was there, she donned this outfit as we set out.

This is the same fashion sense my daughter had and has.  They can wear things that don't look like they go together, and then suddenly they do.  It is an outfit.  It looks good and stylish and sweet.  And I love it.

Little Lovely Leggings

Miss Leggings and I
went for a walk
and on the way
we had a talk
A talk of things
quite small
and high
of things quite far
and some just nigh
and learned we lots
of goodish things
of butterfliers
and birdly wings
of toadsome legs
and mushy's cap
and leaves that fall
on cricklet's nap
and when we went
along on home
we whispered to
a friendly gnome
that we would come
to play again -
I think tomorrow
may be when.

by Donna JT Smith, ©10/5/18


And all you need is a braid and a nice warm sweatshirt, in purple, and you are ready to face the world!
I want that outfit.

Play It Again
by Donna JT Smith
****************
the
day
I wear
this outfit
will be the day
they put me away
in a place with neutral
walls and quiet music and
probably no mirrors or anything
else breakable or able to remind me
of how I don't look the way I am picturing
in my mind that has slipped way back to an age
of yore and I am twirling round the floor on tiptoes to
the sounds of violins playing a waltz or maybe The Dance
of the Sugar Plum Fairies more likely and I will have a slight smile
on my face and my eyes will be closed and I will be humming along as
if no one were watching for that is the splendor of being a little girl who is four.


Last week while driving down to visit grandchildren in PA, I realized when I arrived I was making this statement:


I had gotten out of the car at rest stops and walked around like I was all put together.  I wonder if anyone noticed.  I saw no one looking at my feet.  I guess if you act put together, you are.  
After all, I have another pair almost identical still at home to wear next time.

Not a Pair
One doesn't need
two legs the same
I wore two shoes
my teacher's game
They didn't match
One pink one blue
The same for socks
opposing hues
Attention on 
The teacher's feet
Made learning fun
And kind of sweet
Students strove
To spy faux pas
And be the first 
To cry "Aha!"
Some days on purpose
Some days mistake
But always with a
Smile partake
in any fun of 
wrongful shoes
To laugh at self
You never lose.

by Donna JT Smith, 10/5/2018

PS: On purpose, when teaching first grade, I frequently wore a blue tennis shoe and a pink one, with opposite colored socks on each foot (blue shoe, pink sock - pink shoe, blue sock) and often added a pink troll head on the laces for extra pizazz).  Now when I'm mismatched it isn't really on purpose.  Sometimes it wasn't on purpose at school either when I had almost matching flats on.

Here's an example of one of my "not on purpose" times.  I noticed while riding in the car on the way to a meeting, too late to run back and change, of course:
Noticed in the car on the way to a meeting...
More links to blogs with Friday Poems can be found at Tabatha's blog, The Opposite of Indifference

18 comments:

  1. Your stories and poems brought a smile to my face. My daughter used to change outfits constantly. And it would all end up in the hamper—it didn't matter if she had worn it 15 hours or 15 minutes. Needless to say, I did a lot of laundry. Now that she is in school, she tends to stick to 1-2 outfits a day—much more manageable.

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  2. Little lovely leggings is as whimsical as your granddaughter's wardrobe choice!

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    1. Thanks, Buffy! Lol, I just typed your name quickly (and it's early!) and it came out Buggy. I fixed it, but had to giggle...so apropos for the girl who loves bugs!

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  3. OMG, I love, love, love "Play It Again." I think we both are of a certain age...

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    1. Thanks, Diane, and I believe we must be. I wonder sometimes if that will ever be my world someday. It was an unexpected poem that was a "one fell swoop" deal.

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  4. Donna, the poems are gems, touch my life now in every way. My youngest granddaughter is apt indeed to gather the clothes you have shared, often topping them off with her rainboots (despite the fact it never rains). But I do, like Diane, love "Play it Again". It is poignant and just perfect. Beautiful post!

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    1. Thanks, Linda. I believe I've seen the pictures with those rainboots on a sunny day! Sometimes the pink cowboy boots with skirt or shorts are the footwear for my granddaughter!

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  5. Loving your wardrobe reflections, Donna. Bloopers and all. :)

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  6. "...the splendor of being a little girl who is four." Oh, you captured all that is magical about childhood with your words. Would loved to have tagged along on your walk with Miss Leggings. You took care of all the important things. I love all your poems and your stories of intentional and unintentional mismatchings. Such fun!

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    1. Four is indeed a magical age!
      I always liked to keep my students guessing...Did she do that on purpose? A mistake or a joke? Seriously??

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  7. I like all these fun words: "of butterfliers/and birdly wings/of toadsome legs/and mushy's cap/and leaves that fall/on cricklet's nap"
    I'm kind of surprised they don't sell that pair of tennis shoes together on purpose!

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    1. I am surprised, too. I bet if they did, people would keep trying to put the pairs back together at Payless and Walmart! Lol!
      I'm missing my Halloween outfit I used to wear at school, too...

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  8. Little Lovely Leggings is such a sweet poem. I love her fashion sense! When I dress like that, my daughter is embarrassed to be seen with me. I also love how you can take it all in stride with humor--mismatched shoes, on purpose or not.

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    1. Ha! I remember driving my kids places after being "dressed for school", and having the kids say, "You know you are still wearing..." Ah, the life of a teacher's child!

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  9. Thanks for these wonderfully delightful poems Donna, so much individuality in all!

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    1. Thanks for dropping by, Michelle! Fun to get on a roll!

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