Gwendylon Brooks

"Keeping their scented bodies in the centerOf the hall as they walk down the hysterical hall,They allow their lovely skirts to graze no wall,Are off at what they manage of a canter,And, resuming all the clues of what they were,Try to avoid inhaling the laden air."

I too am pretty confused about this poem, poetry has never been my strong suit. However, this portion of the poem seemed to make sense to me. I feel that it's about these older women that do service just to make themselves look better and feel like that are doing service and helping their communities. However, they do not want to get any of the filth on them as they leave. In other words they do not want to actually get really involved with those that they are helping. They want to go in for a day and then leave for a week or month and forget about those that they served. They do not want to put in the time to actually make changes that will positively impact the community they serve.