My Magic Shoes

This is another poem I wrote in one of my classes about my running spikes being compared to Dorthy's red slippers in The Wizard of Oz.

 

Dorothy’s shoes weren’t ever speckled with mud

nor pierced by another’s cold metal spikes

in the rush of the race, making it feel like a

house had fallen on my right foot. It cut

sharp and deep into my skin, like the

 tips of my shoes grinding into the rich earth.

But mine are the color of the morning sun,

gold with white clouds floating by. The bottoms

are small bumpy plastic and metal mountains.

 

The small spikes squeak like munchkins when I

twist them out with my blue screwdriver, letting

me scrub them sparkling clean like Emerald City

with an old toothbrush. The mud slowly melts away

into the white bathroom sink, making it gurgle and clog.

 

Rusting and dull they may appear, smelling

of sweat, dirt, and bits of ruby red blood,

until I spray them fresh like a field of poppies.

My magic shoes are my winged monkeys,

carrying me across the finish line.

With three clicks of them on the concrete,

triple-knotted on my feet, my shoes will lead

me down the gold medal road to home.

Author's Note

Is any of the Wizard of Oz imagery is too much, not enough, or just plain confusing?

Reviews

[mick weller]

... ah, the yellow brick road of the cross country
there's a great sense of satisfaction obtained from cleaning your running shoes!
Spikes speak of fierce competition and I feel you capture this well here:

`nor pierced by another's cold metal spikes
in the rush of the race, making it feel like a `

I love the way this piece catches the awe runners have for their shoes - tools of the trade:
`My magic shoes `
(and always bad to have a really good fitting pair that you have to let go ...)
shouldn't it be `bowl outside` though? - or maybe they don't get as muddy as mine! haha!
- and the `gold medal` - aim high! unless you're already `up there` ...
the analogy suggests though - like Dorothy - you have a long way to go (?)

To address your Q - not too much no - but I don't think it's over apparent without the intro...
have I picked up on the yellow brick road to success via this though..?
that `3 clicks` on the concrete - bit of `pre-race` good luck magic?
Nice write - tribute to the humble running shoe (specialist shoe in this case!)
I've enjoyed this piece though - I've experienced the `thundering herd` of the lead group coming up behind shouting `out of the way baldy!` as I'm about to be lapped, ha ha!
this has put a smile on my face - I feel I should go and wash mine now though ... (alas not spikes!)