Bandanna Ode
Bandanna Ode
I took a clean cotton bandanna to a party over the holidays.
It became my napkin, and it was happy.
Last week another bandanna kept my thigh from burning
as I ate reheated stew in the passenger seat
while my wife drove.
The red one I used for the sniffles last fall;
I have been told using tissues are better hygiene,
but I accept the risk. My choice. I am not sick often.
Many of my bandannas were thrift store purchases, rescued for 75 cents a piece.
Often ten or more bandannas hang in a rainbow of colors on the laundry line,
like Tibetan prayer flags for cowboys.
(Bandhana means "to tie" in Hindi)
They dry fast, eager to be used again.