Ballet Shoes

I’d known him since we were boys at school

So I let him in to the flat,

He wasn’t known for playing the fool,

I knew him better than that,

But he carried a canvas under his arm

And he propped it up on a chair,

And said I needed to help him out

Could I keep the picture there?

I stood well back and surveyed the paint

It was oil, laid on with a knife,

Of a naked woman, with auburn hair

He said it was somebody’s wife,

She lay at rest on a purple lounge

Had shaken her hair quite loose,

And all she wore on her wonderful form

Was a pair of ballet shoes.

‘Why do I need to keep it here?’ I said,

But I didn’t mind,

Something about the woman’s eyes

Said she was one of a kind.

‘Her husband visits me all the time

I wouldn’t want him to see,

He doesn’t know that she had it done

Or passed the picture to me.’

Marcus gave me a fleeting look

But still had the grace to blush,

I didn’t want to embarrass him

Put fingers to lips, said ‘Hush!’

He left, but said that she might pop in

She’d want to inspect the place,

To find it suitable, that her skin

Was hanging in naked grace.

It took a week till she showed her face,

Came hurrying in at the door,

Her head was covered in widow’s lace,

Announced herself as ‘Lenore’,

I doubted that was her real name

But took her through to my den,

The nude hung high on the picture wall,

She stood and she said, ‘Amen’.

And then she turned and she looked at me

And she smiled as if approved,

Something about that smile, her eyes,

And I felt strangely moved,

‘Would you care to see the original,’

She said, and began to strip,

I couldn’t mumble a word, my tongue

Was tied and set to trip.

She told me to look away until

Quite ready for my gaze,

I couldn’t imagine what she did

It seemed to take for days,

I heard her shake out her auburn hair

Until well and truly loose,

And when I looked, she was naked but

For a pair of ballet shoes.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[TPK Stories]

Wonderful story, David. Interesting read.

[Helena]

WOW David you conjured up quite a visual beauty here! What a masterful and imaginative poet you are and whose pen flows with such prolific and top-class work. Loved it!
Helena

[Anne Wilson]

Interesting tale-telling and rhythm, very enjoyable reading

[Debbie_Philly]

This is brilliant....love love love this....I live Ballet shoes too 😉 . Really bravo...great write.

[Valentine]

Boy, something has opened up that writing frenzy in you. Must be your muse has really returned. Do you think he minded those shoes being missing???? [smiling] Valentine