Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up by
playwright John Powers is a comedy but it "reflects" the subjugation
of young girls and the responsibility they were burdened with regarding the
harnessing of a young man's running wild hormones —rather than imposing such
responsibility on the young men to control their comportment.
There were other warnings young girls were constantly reminded to take heed of.
“Don’t wear pearls...they reflect down.”
“Don’t go to a restaurant where the tables have white table cloths...the (poor dear uncontrollable) boys will be reminded of bed.”
Powers story was written from the perspective of a child and,
while a humorous look at life, it Did Not point a finger of blame the way the
Catholics did with the young girls.
It’s true that the Catholics thought this way; maybe they do still. In my own experience, I went to a Catholic school dance with a Catholic friend. While we waited outside the doors, for what seemed like a Biblical age, I squatted down (I was wearing slacks and a nice blouse...all very proper) to rest. A priest walked over to me and said (honest to G-d) these were his words), “Stand up young lady! You look too inviting like that.”
Personally, I never really like patent leather shoes. They squeak — all of the time.
©Patent Leather Shoes
Mimi Wolske
All Rights Reserved
Her gown was like looking at
the birth of winter in a new year,
bits of lace, soft and enchanting,
over the blue of a starry midnight.
They danced; he led her into a spin and
the lace flared the way dawn folds
around the stars; her legs were
like the Milky Way galaxy folded in
the blush of the universe and the
ineffable, unrelenting winter wind.
He saw it all in her patent leather shoes.
