I wrote this poem in 2010 for inclusion in Annell Livingston's "The Red Shoes Artists Book Project"
Red Shoes
she was too young
for those shoes
not a woman
still a child
what was he thinking
she was innocent
those shoes
screamed 'easy'
slip them on
lace them up
what was he thinking
she was not ready
daddy’s little girl
too much too soon
red shoes tarnished her
soul
what was he thinking
What was he thinking,
ReplyDeleteindeed?
And what is it
with red shoes?
Truly iconic?
Lively?
Fun?
Seductive?
All
of the
above?
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)
The parental dilemma - gifting a child with her heart's desire, at the same time worrying about her safety out in the world. Well captured.
ReplyDeleteDare I ask if the young lady is wearing anything other than shoes?
ReplyDeleteugh...rather heart breaking when kids assume roles...or are forced to take on roles far beyond where they need to be
ReplyDeleteWhat red shoes?
ReplyDeleteOops!
ReplyDeleteWas her name Dorothy?
ReplyDeleteA suprise isn't it Helen? The color red catches one's attention and is supposed to carry a message. I am not sure what the message is. There is a movie and a Broadway play titled "THE RED SHOES." The movies was a hit, the play folded after five performances.
ReplyDeleteBTW, my kiddie filter gave me fits here. XD
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I really like your bionic horse team in your header picture. I saw it last week and tried to figure out the mechanics of it.
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...Oh, my 10 year old loves trying on her older sisters shoes... How they so want to grow up - I'm in no hurry. I think this poem is so powerful, Helen!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly cut to the heart of this picture.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was maybe 32, I had a wonderful pair of red shoes, or so I thought. My friend's teenage daughter called them "Kay's hooker shoes" and I never wore them again, but she kept talking about them for years. Probably still would if I say "red shoes" next time I see her. Maybe I'll get red running shoes.
ReplyDelete"Little red running shoes
where have you been?
over to Grandma's to meet the bad wolf."
K
They do scream "easy"!! I was floored for a second, thought the G-Man came back to life. Funny, I had just referenced him in my boomerang post a couple of weeks ago. Like minds.....
ReplyDeleteHe was certainly one of a kind! Loved him, his sense of humour.
ReplyDeleteWhat was SHE thinking? Try wearing a pretty red
ReplyDeletedress to a party and see if it does magic?
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A chilling reminder of things we'd rather not confront. And I think that picture has a 'bondage' look about it too, reinforcing the message of powerlessness despite the false veneer of sophistication.
ReplyDeleteI recall trying to post my poem on FB, it wasn't allowed due to the image. I do understand why and you are right about 'the things we would rather not confront, Rosemary. What the poem was all about. Too old too soon.
DeleteRed can be empowering as well as viciously glaring. It makes a statement though.
ReplyDeleteA very eye-opening piece.
ReplyDeleteDisturbing.
ReplyDelete(that was I, Priscilla King; Google is misbehaving)
ReplyDeleteNow I want to know what he was thinking. I will never know (I suspect).
ReplyDeleteMy first favorite pair of shoes were red. My dad got them for me with a red dress. I was eleven. And would've worn the outfit for a whole weekend, if my mother would've cried bloody murder. There is something powerful about red... ❤️
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