The Other Man's Shoes

The Talker says much, too much -though he's friendly,

And in saying so much, he is often unwise -

He starts to tell lies without even knowing,

And unlike The Thinker

He’ll tell without showing

 

The Thinker thinks first before opening his mouth,

Is full of ideas, understanding, and life -

Though he hasn’t a wife and is smitten with poverty,

Not like The Tailor

Secure in his property

 

The Tailor has money, respect, and a lawyer

But with all the monotony, life is a bore -

Long before he had this, he’d no worries but freedom,

The Tinker has time

To relax in the tedium

 

The Tinker just poodles along through the rat-race

Undisturbed by the business of human noise -

He toys with the world but has never evolved,

He’ll never be The Winner

While he stays uninvolved

 

The Winner takes all and has all he wants

But will only take more if he’s given an inch -

Then he’ll pinch him a mile with a tinge of regret,

That unlike The Failure

He has no respect

 

The Failure has always more left he can live for

Though insidious doubt deep within him is packed -

He’s backed more losers than he cares to remember,

But unlike The Beggar-man

Cannot surrender

 

The Beggar-man wanders the world as his oyster

No one can touch him but he never finds pearls -

He just curls-up in doorways against the night’s ravages,

With The Spy who’s on duty

Mocked-up like the savages

 

The Spy sees them all - The Tinker, The Talker,

The Winner, The Tailor, The Failure, The Thinker -

And he’s blinkered to them, for he’s secretly anyone

But deep down inside

He wants to be one of them

 

The Talker, The Thinker, The Tailor, The Tinker,

The Winner, The Failure, Beggar-man, Spy -

All eye one another, each searching for clues,

As to why they should envy

The other man’s shoes.

Reviews

[A.Lee]

I really enjoyed this piece. I loved the message and the creative way you brought it out. I loved how you started off each stanza and then ended it by saying "unlike (insert person)" and then went on to talk about them. It really shows how everyone has a flaw and we're always looking at someone else, envying the other person. But that other person has flaws too. Its an endless cycle. I think you did a superb job on this one. 100% from me.

[miSS LEaf]

yes, the world has a lot of characters, even in one person-

[.]

wow this is brilliant..how well you have weaved the lifes of these people and with insight and obversation..which one are you???

a favourite me thinks :)

[R J Askew]

Ach, I am the failure, down to a T, too stupid to give up. May I tell you about my latest big idea ... except, urm, maybe not ... no, no, I know you will have a shoe to polish or something ...

[Sweet_pale_cacophony]

This is so so very clever.You come up with such rare themes that one can simply sit back and ask..what next??..You pick up on such themes which very few think of..and i guess that is what lifts your writes much much above just good.This poem was a pleasure to read.I completely enjoyed myself reading this.There was such shift in insight with every succeeding stanza.
The talker and the thinker..there was such interesting and an almost precise description of both.I like how you said 'smitten with poverty' in reference to the thinker.So much understanding,so much insight burgeons in a thinker that he is pushed away from pragmatism.He starts viewing material pragmatism as worldly foolishness.
About the tailor,I like when you say,But with all the monotony, life is a bore -

Long before he had this, he’d no worries but freedom,
I often do think that all our lives we are taught to think that once we have a decent job,respect from about a handful of people in our vicinity we would be lucky and all would be fine..but it is when we have it all,and we are still craving for a more complete life,it is then that we recognize that perhaps social appreciation is not all that life is about.
Your skill with words and the sheer wit with which you play with your words shows in the stanza on tinker..i loved his description,I loved the line 'just poodles along through the rat race' and also undisturbed by the human noise and how he toys with the world but has never evolved.Such clever phrases.
But will only take more if he’s given an inch -

Then he’ll pinch him a mile with a tinge of regret,

That unlike The Failure

He has no respect...A winner is just a competitive ghost of what he was..his mind is set to an alarm of what the world demands of him.Unlike the loser he has never learned to develop traits of compassion and respect.
For the failure when you say insidious doubt is deep within him packed..you say so much.We have all failed once in a while..and we know what self doubt does to us.
I know my review is trailing long but i have to say,the beggar and the spy stanza are excellently phrased too.'he just curls up in doorways against the night's ravages'..that moved me.
The entire para on the spy is very well said and thought.
All eye one another, each searching for clues,

As to why they should envy

The other man’s shoes...the last three lines were excellently etched and they leave threads open for reflection.
It is so very enjoyable to write a review or a response for your poems.There are so many dimensions to it,so much going on.I love that when i read it by breaking it down into lines and words,there is so much to explore,reflect on.Your words make me think.You chose every word,every line with such precision,care.

[J.M. Barrett]

I really like how you crafted this poem. Especially the way you introduced each character by contrasting them with the previous character. It was very clever and unique.

I like the idea behind this poem as well. Another good write from the fantabulous Devons!! ;]

[lil be me]

I was taught not to envy that it is wrong. we should be happy with what we have. I do enjoy this write though. It is powerful in my opinion.

[zombiikillah666]

i want to be the homeless-man. only because, then i could wear two trench coats, and ride the rail ways with a cool guitar and a old worn top-hat. feel the fresh air, and eat from strawberry patches. Also, i wouldnt have any bills to worry about...except what new town ill discover and new people to listen to my traveling blues. lol....but not really. though sounds fun... but anyway...i really likes this poem. it was fun to read and true. (: Good job. your a genius. (:

[R E Tree]

I love how this moves from one stanza to another on describing people. The effect of that is the poem is more underdstanding of what you mean. I found this piece amazing and it relates to real life. Everyone knows they have been a failure at one point in there lifes.

[Truly Ross-Wisehart]

This is going right into my library. Each person, type different, envying the next! Grass-is-greener syndrome at its finest! You have such a brilliant mind for topics that I can only begin to scratch the surface of in my mind. When I read what you have written, in my head I say.."Yeah! Exactly!" Bravo!

~True