"Bluejeans" A whimsical poem by Eric A. Young

In my youth Bluejeans was one word

Stout, cotton denim, deep blue.

The originals, as upscale as they got

Had a leather LEVI patch, orange stitching

And copper rivets at each point,

Where multiple seams were joined,

Including the one beneath the fly

Teaching wearers about radiant heat transfer

And to never squat on their heels

Facing a campfire.

You wore them daily from Spring

Until the snow flew.

Your shirt was denim too, thinner,

Lighter in both color and denim but still blue.

Then the women found them with their re-designers

The rivets and orange disappeared

Replaced by decorative stitching, generally white

Women struggled on the floor into a pair too small, too tight

Tapered legs were added,

Then, stretch fabrics and inappropriate colors black and even red

Prices bloomed from practical to luxurious

Moving into dress-up and even semi-formal, attire

Adopted by many including rock stars.

We will not go into what happened to popular music.

Fortunately, bluejeans have endured

Coming back for functional use, straight legged or boot cut,

Practical in design, use and even price

Finally, even being frowned on in fine dining rooms.

Music also shows signs of recovery

Moving forward perhaps there's hope for humanity

Even masculinity uncontrolled by feminine appropriation

Bluejeans, Eric A. Young; 8-11-20