The Shoe Girl

Here’s my latest hitRECORD challenge entry – The Shoe Girl.

Based on a line from this poem, I created my little girl.

“Sally who only just turned two, pulls a rabbit from her shoe.”
Magic Town – REmix, CMather

She is confused. On one hand, she’s (literally) holding a bunny she has just miraculously pulled out of her shoe. A trick she’s learnt since a she was a year and a half. On the other hand, she sees the lonely boy walk by, lost in his thoughts in the world of Magictown.

How magic can one’s town be when there’s sadness close enough where one’s eye can see?

FULL VERSION:

Magic Town – REmix
by CMather

Have you heard of Magic Town?
On the shimmering shores of Showerdown,
where every citizen, young or old,
turns leaden hours into gold.

Every day the kids compete,
on every block, on every street,
not for a prize, but just for kicks,
to see who’s best at magic tricks.

Sally who only just turned two,
pulls a rabbit from her shoe.
Roger cuts a clown in half
– that always makes the children laugh.

Francie finds quarters behind ears,
Lolly flat out disappears.
Sara says, “Your card’s an eight.
Get down here, Ted, don’t levitate.”

Yes, all the kids love Magictown,
they’ve got their magic-making down.

Except young Eli.
He is so sad.
At magic, he is REALLY bad!
To try so hard and always fail…
his is a most disturbing tale.

His paper milk cup? Soaking wet.
Appearing bird? He lost that pet.
His ball in cup was always found.
Houdini’s trick? He almost drowned.

He cried with all his mundane heart,
for all he knew about was art.
Eli could draw, paint, sculpt at will,
at magic he just had no skill.

The children laughed (and hid his saw).
At magic time, they said “go draw,
go run, go hide,
you’ve got no magic, go inside.”

And Eli did. He hid away,
until he could no longer stay.
He had to leave, he felt so bad,
he kissed his magic-making mom and dad.

He ran away to Thunderlane,
where every day is wind and rain.
He left that town for Savonrope,
where the whole place is suds and soap.

Not Toddlerton or Katsinzoo,
Maggotville just wouldn’t do,
he hated Averagia, disliked Pilltown,
in Slipup Heights he thrice fell down.

His future now looked bleak and gray,
he found no town where he could stay.
He wandered footsore, sad and weary,
his mind a muddle, his outlook dreary.

He stumbled into Fandander Square
where art abounds most everywhere.
Doodlers Alley squiggles black and white,
Abstract Lane shapes loom oddly bright.

In wonder he approached Town Hall,
by sculpted tree and painted wall.
He pushed his way through hordes of crafters,
hanging their creations from the rafters.

Eli found the Mayor (busy painting).
Exhausted now and almost fainting,
he said “Please Ms. Mayor, I want to stay,
can I settle here, make art each day?”

“Of course, my boy. Come settle down.
Where are you from?” “Magictown.”
The Mayor’s sweet smile turned to a frown.
“We do not mention Magictown.”

Eli settled in just fine.
He hearted art come rain or shine.
But somewhere in his inner ear,
the Mayor’s words echoed loud and clear.

Why did she hate his place of birth?
A magic place unique on earth?
He still missed seeing those he knew
doing the tricks he could not do.

On a walk through Painter’s Court
he heard a sob, and saw a short,
pretty girl of about fourteen
drawing the worst sketch he’d ever seen.

She sobbed again, when she saw
him seeing that she could not draw.
She clearly thought him to be feared.
She waved a hand and disappeared.

Excited now, he asked around
all the good artists of the town
about the girl who disappeared –
“Lizzie, the Mayor’s daughter. Kind of weird.”

Astounded, confounded, in a tizzy,
he combed the town in search of Lizzie.
He looked so hard, he found her quick,
“Please, tell me how you do that trick!”

She blushed, she smiled,
she showed him how.
He watched, beguiled,
“Hey, watch me now!”

Eli never quite disappears,
though he’s lessened with the years.
Lizzie’s learned to draw a bit,
she’s almost got the hang of it.

Excursion trips to Magictown,
now cross the straits of Showerdown,
and the happy artists there,
bring magic friends to Fandander Square.

Folks like the Mayor quickly relented,
once Liz and Eli represented
the great potential of magic and art
combined within an open heart.