Stilettos

Bitterly cold November wind blows,

suppressing the sound of red stilettos

tapping a furious rhythm down a dark

barren street, defying potential danger

from black pavement slick with sleet.

 

A glint of steel appears in the streetlight,

only for an instant, then is cast into the night,

barrel forced open as it lands with a clang,

resounding down into a gutter, disappearing

out of sight.

 

On the other side of town, someone arrives

at their home to the smell of sex and

gunpowder drifting from their bedroom.

Grey smoke lingers heavily, swirling,

still in the air and tiny crimson droplets

cling randomly to walls and hair,

reflecting abandoned candlelight

on new death in the dark of night.

 

Anguished screams pierce the night

and one by one apartments light

as sleepy neighbors raise windows,

shivering as the cold wind blows.

Curious faces along the row whisper

and wonder if it’s someone they know.

 

Passion crime committed on a bitterly cold

November night. Sexy killer vanishes quickly

out of sight as the burgeoning sounds of chaos

effectively conceal the telltale hurried tapping

sound of guilt wearing stiletto heels.

Reviews

[Angelheaded Hipster]

Very cool! Hell hath no fury like a woman in stilettos! Though how shed run off in those killer shoes is beyond me....

I think it would work better in short story form, flesh out the people in the bedroom....give the stiletto woman a little bit more mystery....

but this works rather well too!

[M I N D Y]

oooooooo... this is wonderful!! this is something that seems so new and different for you. very dark. interesting that you would choose the poem over the story. it's certainly different but i like it.

really nice piece!

[James Watts]

I loved the imagery in this and how smooth the writing was. Very nicely done and as all your work it shows you devotion to your work. Nice job.

[Lost, n'MT]

Coming from a guy who didn't know what stilettos even were until a friend of mine told me she wanted some, and I had no idea what she was talking about... I honestly had no trouble understanding or relating to this piece. Much like your other writing, your words bring to life the visuals you help me see. I think this is well written and while I feel you can continue on or make this into a story (or it can even be considered a short story, I feel it is a excellently written and thank you as always for sharing!

[TamiViolet]

Tania Leigh, oh how I enjoy your work. Images are thought-provoking and intense. Guns, 'guilt wearing stiletto heals,' the cold night...all evoke a woman torn...one who finds herself on the wrong side of the tracks for whatever reason. Mysterious...

[James Mayfield]

I think this would make a great short story. It has a kind of film noir quality to it. I can see this as a great detective story. Thanks for sharing.

[Rhiannon Dragonraine]

I like the imagery and the mystery to this, I was like the last reader and was looking for a rythm to it, which it did not have, but I like it, this is hauntingly mysterious and leaves you wanting more to know the why the who and the how- I could see how this could be turned into more than just a short story but a whole novel actually a little along the lines of Noir but then that is just me.

[Rain]

Oh, this certainly can be turned into something longer and more in depth, but it's a great piece, as is. You used just the right words(how did you find them ?) lol. I really liked the feel of this piece. Rain..

[None]

As Billy Joel says, "Dont' go changing, to try and please me..." I love this the way it is...a well told, imaginative poem. This if full of mystery and mystique with unique content. I can tell it's a labored masterpiece writtne artfully by Tania, skilled poetess!

[Helen Woodward]

I think your primary concern is whether it will flow in narrative form and I think it would do very well. It is good as is, but with narrative and perhaps a little dialogue or thinking time for the woman in heels would be terrific, having said that I don't think there is a thing wrong with it in its current form. You set the dark and mysterious scene extremely well, so in summing up it would work either way. I enjoyed this...it was creepy!
Helen :)

[Snow White Queen]

I like this. It would probably be awesome as a short story, but it does work well as a poem too.