Pink Slipper Shoes

Pink Slipper Shoes
Chapter 9 of Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of North Platte by Bob Green

In the days of rations, train depots,
and frequented downtown stores;
a little girl crosses her fingers
for pink slipper shoes.

That night, her mama held her;
their tears shined her new shoes,
too-big brown oxfords, padded to fit.
Part of the war effort long forgotten,

civilians bought second best
so that our boys had quality shoes.
"That was the way it was, …
the way it should be."

__________________
Renee V. Barger
November 30, 2019
Dedicated to my Twin Elizabeth
Thanks to my Mom Kristin and Grandma Jane for lending me their copy of the book.

Renee

Such a fine image.  I hope the epigraph helps others locate the material.  I found the poem rich.

I lobby for a new adjective for "frequented" and the you chop off the last two lines . . . end with "our boys had quality shoes."

Nice and refreshing

Todd

Love how you set it up.  I was there quickly.
Try popular for frequented.  Easy to say, same meaning.  
I think of Woolworths and Dillards in L R.  My mother and my mother-in-law loved those stores. They knew about rations.
The narrative is showing...exactly right.
You don't need the last two lines:  it's more of a capper than showing.  Like a moral to a story.  I can hear your grandmother or mom saying the last two lines with goodness and memory. They suffered for the cause.  But it takes away from the other two lines preceding.
I agree with Todd.
I wonder if an m-dash might fit after "forgotten" since the next two lines give more info.  Just a thought.
Well-done.

Thank you so much for the great feedback. I made those changes, and I am very happy with the poem.  With our current events of limited supplies like toilet paper, I've been thinking about this book and poem. Thanks for helping me polish the poem.  

Pink Slipper Shoes
Chapter 9 of Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of North Platte by Bob Green


In the days of rations, train depots, 
and popular downtown stores;
a little girl crossed her fingers
for pink slipper shoes.


That night, her mama held her;
their tears shined her new shoes,
too-big brown oxfords, padded to fit.
Part of the war effort long forgotten—


civilians bought second best
so that our boys had quality shoes.


__________________
Renee V. Barger
March 27, 2020
Dedicated to my Twin Elizabeth

Thanks to my Mom Kristin and Grandma Jane for lending me their copy of the book.