Shoes In White Charleston

the fewtch

As soon as
they were up I wished
I'd done it better.

They hung too far to the left
over property I didn't own.
They hung, indeed,
over the prettiest property
in the alley.

The boy talked to me
one night and said
his dad was mad
they were up there
and I felt bad but
left them hanging.

The boy's grandma lived there
as well.
She was a gardener
but once they were hanging
I rarely saw her
and then she died.

The father blames me
and he's right to.

Grandma is dead.

Reviews

[Rosalind Gale]

I am struck by your ability - I am one of yours, maybe you are one of mine? One of the poets (so few) I can feel, relate, understand the sequins of your thinking. I am happy.
Rosa
-x-

[The Twin Arenas]

Thanks, Rosa. I appreciate the read and the kind words.

[h d e rushin]

I've been to Charleston...In fact, I was stationed there when my Navy ship was in drydock. The
metaphor is haunting, and I understand that you intended it to be just so. In those days
Charleston boasted of a downtown where slaves were auctioned off to people who needed
a sustainable work force for the Rice barons on the east coast. I always thought of that
connection to a failed policy of subjugation, at best, indecent, not a thing of pride.

This is a poem that could have been written anywhere from 1765 to 1973 when the last known
hanging took place in Virginia. In 2015 the images, to be legitimized, have to be inferred
not implied. Only the skilled can pull this off.. And you are greatly skilled my friend.

dana

[The Twin Arenas]

There aren't a lot of things I've wrote wherein I can remember everything about the moment. This one I can, and I hate everything about that.

[h d e rushin]

You're an outstanding writer....dana

[Rosalind Gale]

I agree - is it coincidence we are all here?
-x-

[Rosalind Gale]

Although, I am a year late.

[Corset]

Like this one for example, seemingly random, but underlying words and thoughts grandma is dead she will not be bothered by the shoes now, but even when she was alive you didn't see her often enough to care if the shoes bothered her, this type of poetry is not only intriguing it resonates .

[The Twin Arenas]

Believe it or not, this was written in response to Charleston removing the confederate flag from the state capitol after the massacre at Mother Emanuel. White shoes were meant to represent something hanging, be it a flag, or anything hanging. It is Charleston, after all. Not to give it away, or anything....but since we're just talking. Grandma meant to represent the Old South. It's a little disjointed, and I've edited a bit since, but I still like the idea.

[Corset]

hmmm, a strong metaphor if one is familiar, but that's the beauty of interpretation and poetry , kinda like one poem fits all kind of thing, you know why you wrote it but each reader has it resonate differently into their own experiences.

[The Twin Arenas]

Yeah, of course. As long as SOMETHING is communicated. A vague feeling is always what I'm after. A little shade of something. What's left on the plate.

[Corset]

yeah exactly, that's why Id like to hear how it effects, if it does at all, Jacob is wonderful in that regard, in his reviews, because he "voices " what he picked up from it...even though he is an English teacher and could tell you all the technical yuck you don't wanna hear, lol, great poet and reviewer that guy.

[Carolynn]

Great poem WS. There's almost morbid humor with this one...poor Grandma!!

[The Twin Arenas]

ha thanks. was in response to the shootings in Charleston and the bullshit confederate flag.

[Carolynn]

Oh then no humor intended sorry....I'm not familiar with that story - forgive my ignorance

[Beccy]

It''s the future for all of us; as for doing better, mostly we play the cards that fall and hope that occasionally we get dealt a full house.

Enjoyed this very much.

Beccy.

[rach]

When I was a kid all I ever want to do was get a pair of sneakers to hang from the power lines, it seemed to be an impossible task.

'Grandma is dead.' you really brought it home with this line, I loved it.

[Jerusalem Cricket]

I read & thought about this a few times over, as I usually have to do with your stuff, yknow, to take all it in. 'White Charleston' makes me titter. No idea why. & all I can think of is how shoes on the line usually means dopehouse (at least here it does). Which shakes it up entirely.
oh, and that ending.

[The Twin Arenas]

that's what it means here, too. everywhere, I think. but, like the rest of it, it's been appropriated.
thanks for the read

[Cherry Pepperweb]

Damn... Good heavens WC. You've touched a nerve here.
High Impact.

[The Twin Arenas]

that's why we do it, right? thanks for the read

[Cherry Pepperweb]

Yes, I guess it is. I wish I could say the same for my own BS writing. It should be thought provoking.
I'm not there yet. Anyway. Good job.

[Olivia]

This is such an important and powerful piece. More people need to read this but also fully understand it
Grandma is truly dead.

[The Twin Arenas]

thanks, olivia. if one person got it, then that means everything to me. everything.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like the metaphor with the shoes...makes me think all those shoes hanging there, and lives in the balance, hanging there...

those who wanted to run away from life, but they tripped on the laces and couldn't get out of their own way.

i like the abstractness of the writing....allows us to look down that alley and use our imagination.