BECAUSE WE LIKE THEM

Today I made my annual purchase

of my favorite Talbot’s driving shoes…

Deep coral-red this year,

Cactus Flower, they call it.

Last year’s were Cornflower,

light blue and comfortably stylish.

Simply too-too, if you know what I mean.

The young woman

in front of me at the register

stopped her purchase, reached out to them.

Oh, I need a pair! and  hurried to the shoe racks.

But, you have nothing red, said her husband.

He chose the practical navy.

She and I raised an eyebrow.

One does not wear red shoes,

or blue, or yellow, or purple,

to match what else she wears.

She- we- wear shoes to brighten the day

to shock the eye, to make her-us laugh.

She did not buy them just then.  He seemed relieved.

She whispered, like Arnold, “I’ll be back.”

rJo Herman

2/13/16