Lady Slippers or Grandma’s Dancing Shoes

Lady Slippers

BJ Silberman

Wrapped in tissue paper memories

Grandma’s dancing shoes

Napped on the top shelf of her closet.

The silk slippers with pearl buttons,

Remnants of another life,

No longer fit her knobbed feet

and twisted toes.

On laundry days,

Grandma’s aprons,

like kites

Trapped in mid-flight with their tails dangling,

Competed with the zinnias for attention.

While her house dresses,

gay paper lanterns fluttering in the breeze,

made the garden ready for a party.

When the washing was hung,

Grandma danced barefoot

on the grass.