Spike Heels
In the 1950s, I wore spike heels.
They were very high, but I was thin then,
didn’t wobble. I walked through hours
at my job, my high heels twinkly
as Dorothy’s red slippers with pointy toes,
heels in every possible color, sling-backs
and pumps, the clickety-clack of them
on pavement making me feel
as sophisticated as Marilyn Monroe. Older now,
my heels have gone lower and lower,
reduced to sandals with Velcro straps to hold
my triple E-feet. I still watch women
striding in their spike heels, and wish
for one minute that I could go back
to the days when I could walk
with such grace, look with longing
at this marker of beauty, as though
I were still sixteen and not this woman
I’ve become, pounding through life
on confident feet.
by Maria Mazziotti Gillan
"Spike Heels" first appeared in Feminist Studies (2006)
Maria Mazziotti Gillan's most recent books are the poetry and photography collection, Paterson Light and Shadow and the poetry collection, What Blooms in Winter . Her collection of poems along with some of her paintings is The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets . Maria's official website is MariaGillan.com.
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