Clothes Line Sage

After a while we took in the clothes,
Nobody said very much.
Just some old wild shirts and a couple pairs of pants
Which nobody really wanted to touch.
Mama come in and picked up a book
An’ Papa asked her what it was.
Someone else asked, &quotWhat do you care?&quot
Papa said, &quotWell, just because.&quot
Then they started to take back their clothes,
Hang ‘em on the line.
It was January the thirtieth
And everybody was feelin’ fine.
The next day everybody got up
Seein’ if the clothes were dry.
The dogs were barking, a neighbor passed,
Mama, of course, she said, &quotHi!&quot
&quotHave you heard the news?&quot he said, with a grin,
&quotThe Vice-President’s gone mad!&quot
&quotWhere?&quot &quotDowntown.&quot &quotWhen?&quot &quotLast night.&quot
&quotHmm, say, that’s too bad!&quot
&quotWell, there’s nothin’ we can do about it,&quot said the neighbor,
&quotIt’s just somethin’ we’re gonna have to forget.&quot
&quotYes, I guess so,&quot said Ma,
Then she asked me if the clothes was still wet.
I reached up, touched my shirt,
And the neighbor said, &quotAre those clothes yours?&quot
I said, &quotSome of ‘em, not all of ‘em.&quot
He said, &quotYa always help out around here with the chores?&quot
I said, &quotSometime, not all the time.&quot
Then my neighbor, he blew his nose
Just as papa yelled outside,
&quotMama wants you t’ come back in the house and bring them clothes.&quot
Well, I just do what I’m told,
So, I did it, of course.
I went back in the house and Mama met me
And then I shut all the doors.