Pathos/Fatal Footwork

                                                      Landseer

PATHOS

(An Acrostic)

Pictures such as these impart

All the pain of a broken heart .

The dog's aware that his master's died.

He waits faithfully by his side.

Only Victorians could express

Such grief and exquisite tenderness.

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(I, too, was a Children's Hostess, but this is not me. Her heels don't look too high, so I think she must be of a later vintage.)

FATAL FOOTWORK!

My feet are rather run-of-the-mill, fairly small and almost neat,

As feet go in the run of things, my feet are hard to beat.

Except for a bony protuberance on the left foot, not the right

And, oddly enough, that's something that I view with some delight!

It is a constant reminder of days decades ago,

Which gave rise to the said protuberance causing it to grow.

I worked on a passenger ship for a year or two,

Looking smart in a uniform, sometimes white and sometimes blue.

The female officers were all advised that, to be really smart

Shoes with high stiletto heels had to play a part.

Imagine this, a rolling ship, out on the heaving ocean!

And girls in the highest of high heels copying the motion!

Sliding about the decks and looking pleasant, with a smile,

While tormented toes were screaming out in agony all the while!

At night I'd go to my cabin and really cry with pain,

Knowing that, tomorrow, I'd have to do it all again!

Mind you, there were compensations! A life of luxury,

Plenty of handsome officers, and the joy of being at sea!

The years went by, I left the sea, but I was to discover

That the bony 'thing' on my left foot would never quite recover.

'Yes' said a podiatrist in due course,'Yours is a typical case;

You've deformed your foot by wearing heels that were a medical disgrace.'

So now, when I see girls tottering on heels that are meters high,

I long to give them a warning.

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Now you know the reason why.