Red Shoes - A Writing Practice Poem

Hello and welcome to a sunny Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is August 13th. Good news! This thirteenth doesn't fall on a Friday so isn't nearly as scary or troublesome.

I am a big believer in writing practice. It's my observation that writers have a tendency to only work on "the project," but I ask you, what does an athlete spend more time on: preparing for the game or playing the game?

I use this 365 Creative Writing Prompts list to do my creative push-ups. I have a couple of rules. 

1) I do the writing prompts in order and I have to do the prompt even if it terrifies me and I think I won't be able to write anything.
2) I set a timer for ten minutes and make myself keep writing for that entire time.

So far, I have always been able to write something. As I often tell writers, "It doesn't have to be good; it just has to exist."

These writings usually never make it past my hard drive, but I thought you all might like to see what goes on behind the curtain of my imagination - the rough, unpolished stuff. The sweaty push-ups.

So here you go!

Prompt #118 - Shoes: What kind of shoes do you wear? Where do they lead your feet?

Ugh. Shoes.
Shoes tell two stories of my life.
Shoes old, unfashionable, worn out.
Ugly
Will tell you that I don’t spend money on shoes.
I don’t buy shoes.
These shoes will say, “You don’t respect yourself enough to get your needs met.”
You wait for other people to buy you the shoes.
But, Girl, don’t you know by now that the only person who can buy you shoes
Is you?

My feet look up at me, clear-eyed. They know what they are.
You complain about us; name call us.
“Flintstone feet”
It might be funny to you, but who has carried you?
Who has run those miles for you?
Walked those country roads?
Gotten you to all the places you wanted to go?
You should be kissing us.
We’re wide. So what? We need to be to manage all your mass.
Don’t you remember reading Snowflower and the Secret Fan?
Did you not learn that bound feet are a torture and a symbol of enslavement?
Despite the trickery of elevating a woman’s status?
She can’t go anywhere!
You with your “ugly” feet are free to roam an earth.
You need only decide where to go.

Red Shoes.
Ah, now we’re talking.
These are your decisive shoes.
The shoes that made you decide that you matter
And that you would walk with intention.
The shoes fell apart quickly (the replacement pair you weren’t even able to wear, the red flaking was so bad.)
But you caught the spirit of these shoes
And you built a life with them.
Good girl.

Keep walking.
Buy the shoes you need
Not the shoes you think you need
Your feet will thank you
And you
Will thank them.

On This Day

Historic Highlights (credits)

1997 - South Park Makes its Debut on Comedy Central

The popular American animated series is created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and it follows the lives and adventures of 4 boys – Eric Cartman, Kenny McCormick, Kyle Broflovski, and Stan Marsh – in a fictional town called South Park, Colorado. While being popular, the show has attracted widespread criticism for profane language and for addressing controversial subjects.

1961 - Construction of Berlin Wall starts

The construction on the Berlin Wall, a wall that divided West Berlin from East Berlin started. It was built by the German Democratic Republic or East Germany.

1960 - First Two-Way Telephonic Conversation With a Satellite

The conversation was made possible due to NASA’s Echo 1, a balloon satellite. It was launched into space on August 12. The satellite worked as reflector – signals sent to it were reflected back to the Earth.

1960 - Central African Republic Gains its Independence From France.

The landlocked African Country came under French rule in the late 19th century. On this day, Barthélemy Boganda, a nationalist politician declared the creation of an independent Central African Republic and became the first Prime Minister of the country.

1918 - First Woman enlists in the United States Marines

After joining the Marine corps, Opha May Johnson, was assigned desk duty at the Marine Corps headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

Happy Birthday to You!🎶 

1983 - Sebastian Stan, Romanian/American actor

1970 - Alan Shearer, English footballer

1899 - Alfred Hitchcock, English director, producer

1818 - Lucy Stone, American activist

Remembering You

2009 - Les Paul, American guitarist, songwriter, co-designed the Gibson Guitar

2004 - Julia Child, American chef, author

1995 - Mickey Mantle, American baseball player

1946 - H. G. Wells, English author

1910 - Florence Nightingale, Italian/English nurse

Keep writing, even if it's just for yourself and even if you think it's terrible, and make it a great Saturday. 

Kim