The boy tossed the old denim shoe over a limb,
during a summer dare.
He meant to retrieve it, but forgot.
The tree kept it the way trees keep old things.
And the sparrow, small and serious,
looked at that denim hollow
and saw a home no one else imagined.
It’s the kind of story where the world
doesn’t fix what’s broken~
it simply lets something new grow inside it.
Some people seem to live their lives for show
But often they just don't know which way to go
They take offense whenever none was ever meant
Not caring if bad behavior is to their detriment
Insecure peers judge me as if they know who I am
I am wiser than them because I know where I stand
The door shuts on that shoe trying to help me.
Breaks off the shoe tip and maybe a toe but who knows.
That’s the door.
On the other side were the hopeful premonitions adding their spice.
I don’t know if the lull is me.
I have an ache that’s almost a set alarm.
But doesn’t wake me up, not as helpful as that.
That wormhole is half of me.
I must admit that the old soft shoe was alive and well
in Ireland, the land where tapdancing geese do dwell
the most exuberant dancer was my enthusiastic cousin Nell
She had to be hooked and dragged off the stage, said embarrassed Del.
I don’t know how sadness comes
After all, an hour ago it wasn’t here
Perhaps it’s the fault of the shoe
Standing askew by the door
Or of the clouds that suddenly appeared in the clear sky
Rolling in droves, embodying
Variable cloud cover
Or it's due to the photos from years gone by
Or all of this together
Falls down to engulf me
With a wave without water and air without light
The dark sun stares at me
Without the slightest sympathy
And I stare at the floor
Unable to lift my head.
The Glen is silent, almost to a deadly halt.
You can hear your own breath and your heart beating in your chest.
It’s eerie and you’re feeling afraid.
You don’t know why?
The haar is closing in and dulling any sound even more.
You start to panic and go to turn on your heel.
As you pace yourself to move you look behind you and hear the most awful noise.
“Mum, I’ve lost my shoe in the bog!”
Electronic keys and hacking tools
Gloves mask and absolutely no rules
Except of course to not get caught
To stay the course not get lost
Strip it and zip it or rip it off
Some days are worse than others
when I need to sit and cry
I open my old shoe box
once used for Valentine's
I take a trip down memory lane
to visit familiar faces
a reminder of my past
never to be forgotten
I wonder the path of
An unknown shoe
The footsteps it’s journeyed
The people it knew
The sorrow that led it to
Wander the land
The joy that it lingered in
Kissing the sand
Near oceans, salt misted
Or valleys of green
To contemplate kindness
For life so serene
Or running from darkness
When earthquakes renew
I wonder the the path of
An unknown shoe
red ladybug crawling on my polished shoe
spring ruby ~ black dots dance
[ FIRST PLACEMENT:
Standard Contest
March 26 ]
Hey! hey! hey
a
come dance wit me boi;
i'm putting on top mai satin shoe now;
hey a
trip away , step for triple way , triple away pirouette trip di lait;
fantastic kiss di toes for mai feet;
mai spirit, mai soul so sweet;
gambol sweetstep onto floor oh, oh;
rollicking, flicker, leap-quiver oscillate;
tip toe
bit 1 2 3
top 1 2 3, 1 2 3 comot right. comot
shift ya hips to hip hip
shimmer shake shake shape, tanda for place. Shake ya hit. Shikena! area to area, bodi, waving as you wearin dem
satin, afro, shoe
2/19/26
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr
Hey! Hey! Hey
A
Come to dance wit me boy;
I'm putting on my satin shoes now;
Hey A
Trip away , step in triple way , triple away pirouette trip the light;
Fantastic kiss the toes of my feet;
My spirit, my soul so sweet;
Gambol sweetstep onto floor Oh, oh;
Rollicking, flicker, leap-quiver oscillate;
Tip toe
bit 1 2 3
Top 1 2 3, 1 2 3 left right.left
Shift your hips to hip hip
Shimmer shake shake shape, stand in place. Shake your hit. Move side to side, body, waving as you wearin them
satin, Afro, shoes.
2/19/26
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2026
There once was a creature from space
Who entered a marathon race.
With six feet a side,
And shoes tightly tied,
The two-leggers couldn't keep pace.
Nigeria our beloved country
Diverse in tongue and tribe
United by a loosely held shoe string
Accentuated differences in culture
and tradition.
Nigeria united by force majuere
Divisive force than a blending force
The unity daily lies in a scale balance
Skewed to the north or to the south
By a major crisis or an act of debacle
Nigerians and Nigeria seating on shoe
string.
(Written 17th March, 2017)
**Cleaners**
~ O.P.E.N ~
Mon-Fri: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sun: Closed
- 7a.m. 7°C -
The key scratches
alongside the knob,
cobwebs capture
every corner of the door.
The cold air thumps
against the windows,
as the lightbulb flickers
morning and night
in the gaps of the ceiling
outside the barely
shut door.
Underneath,
reddish pigment cover
the bricks and the cracked
mortar spews out moss,
releasing all creatures
from its remnants.
Squirming around,
tossing about surrounding
the cigarette bud left
from last winter.
The distant air smells
of cheap store bought coffee
mixed with gasoline.
Above rests a pair of shoes,
tarnished from all the weather,
tangled since last year.
The shoes aged
along with the time
whereas the boy,
since last winter,
dissipated
with the once lit
cigarette,
As white blankets
the grounds,
the embers sparks
rises with the ashes
up the telephone wire,
I barely remember
the time,
that boy
never came back.
Edited (7.18.26):
1.18.17 ~ 2.19.18
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.