The Wordrobe

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A collection of 21 poems created from material gathered in a series of Clean Language interviews, each of which began with the question: ‘Your relationship with your wardrobe - including your clothing - is like what?’

Using this methodology means the interviewer does not introduce their own ideas or assumptions, but asks simple questions of specific words and phrases used by the interviewee to encourage them to expand on their own ideas. The stories that emerged from these interviews were then shaped into poems - i.e. poems that use real people's voices, not tidied up into "poetic" language.

It turned out that wardrobes/ clothing was a rich topic to explore - and the poems bring in themes such as memory, identity, who we were and who we're becoming. Here's an example:

Hats

I’m not a hat person. 
I had just one for winter 
in the past.

But I had this sickness. 
Hats became very important. 
My husband offered me 
some really cool hats 
because I was not happy 
wearing a wig all the time.

When I had no hair at all 
in winter, 
it was really cold. 
So I had these sleeping hats, 
very soft, 
just like a sock 
you put over your head.

I don’t throw them away. 
They have a right to be there, 
because they were there for me.

They are silent now. 
They want a pause.

And there’s one hat
my husband offered me 
during that time.

Velvety, blue, 
with pink dots. 
It stands by itself. 
Long brim, a little lopsided. 
Really cool.

It says, really loudly: 
Why haven’t you worn me yet? 
Get over yourself! 
You said you want to be cool - so be cool!

I have only worn it 
at home, in front of the mirror.