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Monday 6 May 2019

Poetry Monday: Shoes

Thank you all for your birthday wishes on my last post. I appreciate your kindness!

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is . . . SHOES.




Join Delores, Mother Owl, and me as we try this topic on for size, break it in, polish it to a shine, give it some soul/sole,  . . . what other analogies can one make??

You can leave a poem in the comments, or if you prefer to post on your own blog, please leave a comment to let us know where to find you. If you want to take part every week, and would like me to link to your blog in the preamble (as for Delores and Mother Owl, above), let me know!

*****

I'm using shoes today to describe all the different footwear we might use to get around in. Also, please forgive the phrases where word order is ... ah ... shall we say ... unusual. I wrote down all the rhymes for shoes I could think of, and then  coaxed, pushed, pulled, and threatened the words to make them work. Poor things, I hear you say. Well, they were just sitting there mocking me; at least now they're earning their keep!

*****

Lose Those Blues

What do YOU do when you're wearing shoes?
Do you go for a visit to see kangaroos?
Do you walk the dirt roads through the muck and the ooze?
Or stroll on the beach with its marvellous views?
Do you stride through the field where the cow moos and chews?
Do you head to the gym to pay membership dues?
Or perhaps to the shop to get papers of news?
Do you head to the courtroom to see whom who sues?

Me? I wear my shoes to walk in the yews
My stress all to lose and myself with to schmooze


(Note: I know one reader who does visit kangaroos! If you want to see a sample, go to Elephant's Child's blogpost, here, and scroll to almost the bottom. Scroll slowly if you would also like to see a lorikeet, some pelicans, and a pair of black swans.)





What's your favourite thing to do in shoes?

Wishing you everything you could hope for from your footwear :)

Next week's topic is HOPE ... thank you, Delores :)






37 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Delores has decreed next week is that precious and valuable thing 'Hope'.
Thank you for the link to my blog.
Shoes? I wear them as rarely as possible. Sandals mostly.
Once upon a time I wore heels. Those days are gone. And unmissed.

River said...

Love your poem :)
I wear shoes everywhere, I love bare feet, but as a child in Port Pirie I quickly learned that shoes were referable to stepping on the wicked "three-cornered jacks" that proliferated. Quite large and with thick spiny thorns that could break off in your foot and become infected.

Charlotte (MotherOwl) said...

I like your poem. Not least as this was exactly what I was tempted to do when I forgot my first opus. But I could not pull it off. You did well.
Your very first photo shows how I'd like to use my shoes. And were it not for bees, cigarette butts and glass and winter, this was all the use thy'd ever see.

Cherie said...

Oh to wear a pair of shoes instead of comfy slippers
My poorly leg has turned me into someone walking with flippers
It drags along and will not move and hurts like something crazy
If you didn't now me well you'd think that I was lazy
I look at all my lovely shoes and then I softly sigh
I will wear you all again it almost makes me cry

Anonymous said...

I like walking in shoes. I do not like driving with or without shoes.

jenny_o said...

I call them all "shoes" but some are definitely more acceptable than others (sandals yes, heels no)! Like you, I prefer bare feet (or socks in winter).

jenny_o said...

I am wincing just reading about it, River. Ow!

jenny_o said...

I guess there's a reason shoes were invented ...

It's unfortunate that you couldn't remember your first poem - I'm still in awe that you remembered your other one! I can't do that.

jenny_o said...

Oh, I hope you start feeling better, soon, Cherie. You are having a rough go of things.

Thank you for contributing a poem today.

jenny_o said...

Yes, walking is the thing I most like, too! I never have shoes on in the house.

only slightly confused said...

Fingers crossed you are into your shoes again soon.

only slightly confused said...

Gotta wear my shoes all the time now....no bare feet for me...

Red said...

Great poem. The shoe can take us in some very interesting places. This is like Dr. Zuess. I know I didn't get the right spelling.

jenny_o said...

On the plus side, you will probably never get a splinter or bruise your foot on a rock! Those are good things to avoid.

jenny_o said...

The good doctor had a lot of very catchy poems, didn't he?

Marie Smith said...

I wear my shoes to walk off the blues!

Loved this theme!

jenny_o said...

Walking is a big help, isn't it? I'm glad you walk so many beautiful places and share them on your blog!

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I think this is your very best poem, Jenny! Bravo! Bravo!.

jenny_o said...

Wow - thank you, Arleen! High praise indeed! I hope your shoes take you somewhere good this week :)

messymimi said...

Excellently well done!

And i wish you many happy returns of the day, a bit late. When i read your birthday post, i was on my tablet that will not let me post comments on your blog for some reason.

My poem, with photos to illustrate, is over here.

jenny_o said...

Thanks, Mimi :) I like your poem today!

dinthebeast said...

Many blues songs use "shoes" as a rhyme. Now that I can't walk as much, my shoes last much longer. I bought this pair of generic athletic shoes for $30 at Target in 2015. They're still OK, but the left heel is starting to wear, so maybe it's time for some new ones.
I remember being poor and walking everywhere and walking a lot at my job and going through shoes really fast. I used to scour the local flea markets for cheap, acceptable, footwear, because the impact it had on my day was formidable.
I like your poem, and it reminded me of when my mother finally gave up on buying dress shoes for me, even though it meant meeting her attorney bosses in tennis shoes...

-Doug in Oakland

Joanne Noragon said...

I've worn shoes every waking moment since that time I stepped on a bee and learned the dangerous way I am allergic.

jenny_o said...

When you're on your feet it's amazing how fast you can go through shoes, isn't it?

Dress shoes are usually so expensive and kids grow out of them so fast. Also, kids don't usually like to wear them! I made an assumption you were still a kid? :) Ours didn't have anything but sneakers until we had to get all dressy for a wedding :)

Martha said...

That was fun! It should be part of the Dr. Seuss series :)

Best thing I like to do with shoes is travel!

jenny_o said...

Oh, wow, Joanne - no wonder you wear them always. And that is a difficult allergy for gardeners in particular.

jenny_o said...

Now there's a category of fun I completely overlooked! I hope your travel shoes get a workout soon, Martha :)

37paddington said...

Ah, this topic and your poem brings me back to days growing up in Jamaica, when my best friend down the street and I would walk back and forth along a ribbon of asphalt for hours between our two homes, walking each other home, back and forth, wearing no shoes. It is one of my most precious memories.

jenny_o said...

Thank you for sharing that memory, 37p. Some childhood memories are so strong, aren't they?

baili said...

I loved the image you share dear Jenny!

congratulations for incredible poem which is completly in shape :)


ah once i hated to wear shoes as child i can still hear the yelling and shouting of mom to force me to wear
but touch of ground had special connection with my bare feet which i did not want to break
blessings and hugs my friend!

jenny_o said...

That is such a wonderful description of how it feels to walk in bare feet, baili - a special connection with the ground! Thank you for your kind words, sweet friend :)

kylie said...

You can make a poem out of anything! I like your approach, finding the rhymes then massaging the poem to fit.

I'm another who must wear shoes at all times. I wish, wish, wish I could slip into comfy slippers or feel sand/ grass/ a rug under my feet. I'm pleased to be walking, though, mostly attempting to side step crazy pup or freight train mini horse 😂😂

jenny_o said...

It's all relative, isn't it? I'm sure my dad would have uncomplainingly worn the most uncomfortable footwear ever, if he could have just gotten up from his wheelchair and been able to walk. That continues to haunt me, as I guess you can tell.

I hope the doggo situation is bringing you lots of enjoyment along with the danger!

And thank you for your kind words about the poem. I like to explain how I arrived at some of my poems (okay MOST of my poems) in case anyone out there is wondering about the process.

Mr. Shife said...

Love it. Nice job, jenny_o. My favorite thing to do in my shoes is to take them off after a long day. Have a good one.

jenny_o said...

What a good feeling that is, for sure :)

Diane Henders said...

I like your poem - very Suessical! :-) I admit that I take my shoes for granted - without them I'd be very unhappy padding around in my bare feet on all our gravel. Hooray for shoes!

jenny_o said...

Odd - others mentioned Seuss too. I usually know if I'm channeling another poet and it didn't cross my mind at all this time. Maybe because I was so busy whipping those poor words into line! lol

I agree about shoes for outside. Bare feet are too tender by far for so many things!