02 November 2007

A death in the wishlist (pt. II)

It was four months and two weeks ago when I first laid eyes on you.
And every day since, Lady Vita, often in the morning, afternoon and night, I have checked up on you, made sure you were still there, made sure you hadn't had a within-reach markdown -- in all honesty, sometimes I would click over just to look at you, just to marvel at your sleek gunmetal body, your demure, oval-shaped lead and yes, of course, that intricate over-the-toe detailing no Zara, no BCBGirls and no Steve Madden could ever replicate.
Last night you were there. This morning you were there. Just four hours ago, again, you were there. But as has happened before, in the blink - no, in the half blink - of an eye, someone who had the means, someone who didn't waste her funds on protein smoothies, throwaway iTunes and copious amounts of moisturizer, drop-down-menu-ed your last 37.5 and stole you away from me. Or rather, stole the idea of you away from me.

I thought we could pull through and make it to Christmas bonus season together. I really did.

As was the case the last time I experienced a major death in my wishlist, I now turn to my favorite fem-poet for solace and perspective.

And Enya. Lots and lots of Enya.

But Not Forgotten*
(Dorothy Parker)

I think, no matter where you stray,
That I shall go with you a way.

Though you may wander sweeter lands,
You will not soon forget my hands,
Nor yet the way I held my head,
Nor all the tremulous things I said.

You still will see me, small and white
And smiling, in the secret night,
And feel my arms about you when
The day comes fluttering back again.

I think, no matter where you be,
You'll hold me in your memory
And keep my image there without me,
By telling later loves about me.

*poem taken from Parker's second book of verse, Sunset Gun (1927)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pleeeease...they're just shoes.

Anonymous said...

you must be a new reader. it's kinda meant to be tongue and cheek.

Johanna said...

No, no, anonymous 8:56, there was no tongue-in-cheekiness in this post. I LOVED those shoes.

Love, I mean - I still *love* them.

Anonymous said...

Actually, anon 8:52, I think it's pretty clear this post is NOT entirely about the shoes...

Unknown said...

"My name's Jo and I'm a shoe-holic"

Anonymous said...

I remember when you first posted on those Cazabats and thinking, "God are those gorgeous!" As your dad always says, hon, they'll always be others ;-)

Anonymous said...

They are only "just shoes" to those who don't share Johanna's values.

Anonymous said...

never congratulated you on the marathon last sunday - great job!

Anonymous said...

Dorothy Parker wrote that? It seems so ... gentle. I remember her work as having a sharper edge.

N-Y-i-E