It's an heirloom seldom mentioned...

It’s an antique tapestry
Of a cherished way of life -
When Gentry ruled the kingdom
And cotton ruled their lives.
And they’d sit and sip their bourbon,
In comfortable illusions
Of nobility and right,
While gathered round a table
Of imaginary knights;
Pompous cavaliers
On an ominous crusade
Armed with oratory sabers
And tales of yesterday.
Intent on dreams of glory
To defend the status quo,
Their castles crumbled round them
In the ashes of their cause.

It’s an heirloom seldom mentioned
To uninvited guests -
Wrapped and neatly folded
In grandma’s cedar chest.
An inheritance passed down
To sons and unwed wives;
With threads worn and faded
Altho the pattern’s still defined.
A heritage well learned
by a cultural divide
In a family trust preserved
So the bloodlines will survive.
It is an antique tapestry
Woven into the day
By fashions imitated
Though never on display.