Leur coude nu sorti des manches,
\nEt tout leur poids
\nPesant sur le fer chaud qui glace et broie
\nLe raide empois,
\nLes massives servantes
\nOrnent de longs plis droits
\nEt de courbes savantes
\nLe linge blanc des blancs dimanches.<\/p>\n
\u00c0 larges pans, le linge blanc
\nD\u00e9borde
\nDe grands et superbes paniers.
\nOn le s\u00e9cha, le long des cordes,
\nAu vent vermeil, au vent l\u00e9ger
\nDes vieux vergers.<\/p>\n
Et maintenant, le voici net et clair,
\nAvec la bonne odeur des pr\u00e9s,
\nAvec la bonne odeur de l\u2019air,
\nEntre ses plis menus et resserr\u00e9s,
\nO\u00f9 fourrage, tel un museau
\nLourd, mais rapide,
\nEn chaque coin, en chaque vide,
\nLe bout massif des gros fers chauds.<\/p>\n
De large en long, de long en large,
\nAvec leur bras pesant et lent,
\nMarquant de grandes marges
\nPlates, le linge blanc,
\nLes servantes repassent ;
\nTandis qu\u2019assise \u00e0 la fen\u00eatre basse,
\nLa ma\u00eetresse de la maison
\nSurveille, interroge, clabaude
\n\u00c0 langue chaude
\nEt br\u00fblante comme le fer sur les tisons.<\/p>\n
Et les nouvelles de la ville
\nD\u00e9filent,
\nEt tous les voiles des m\u00e9nages
\nDu voisinage
\nSont soulev\u00e9s f\u00e9rocement ;
\nEt l\u2019on suppute, et l\u2019on affirme, et l\u2019on d\u00e9ment ;
\nLes ma\u00eetresses, aux airs de du\u00e8gnes,
\nPour mieux savoir
\nFeignent
\nD\u2019abord de ne rien entrevoir ;
\nMais les servantes les renseignent,
\nFlairant le mal dans tous les coins,
\nPrenant le ciel et la vierge \u00e0 t\u00e9moins,
\nEt tout \u00e0 coup crispent le poing,
\nL\u00e0-bas, vers quelque rogue et farouche adversaire.
\nEt ma\u00eetresses et servantes, bient\u00f4t d\u2019accord
\nSur tous les vols dont l\u2019\u00e9chevin retors,
\nEt le notaire escroc et l\u2019armateur faussaire
\nOnt ravag\u00e9 le champ des communes mis\u00e8res,
\nS\u2019oublient \u00e0 remuer, avec un tel emportement,
\nCes tas houleux de boue,
\nQu\u2019une se br\u00fble en soulevant,
\nD\u2019un trop rapide mouvement,
\nLe fer chauff\u00e9, contre sa joue.<\/p>\n
Se d\u00e9pliant, se repliant,
\nAvec le va et vient tranquille et lent
\nD\u2019une aile d\u2019ange,
\nParmi cet unanime \u00e9talage de fange,
\nSe meut le linge immense et blanc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"annee":[561],"poems-book":[695],"poemes-theme":[],"poete":[654],"class_list":["post-15340","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-561","poems-book-les-villes-a-pignons","poete-emile-verhaeren"],"yoast_head":"\n