Peddomus*

Long days
imprisoned in tight takkies,
or bound in leather vellies,
the toes cry out in hot protest
to be freed.

Stumbling through the door
I head straight to the bedroom
to kick off the offending shoes,
peel off the damp socks
and slip the barking dogs
into soft, reassuring
sheepskin moccasins.

Ah!

Home.

 

********************************************************************

I do love my slippers!

 

Interesting notes:

*  The title “peddomus” is from Latin  (ped-) and means “foot”
and “domus” (also Latin) meaning “home.”

Takkies are what most South Africans call a rubber-soled canvas sports shoes (Americans call them “sneakers” or “tennis shoes” and British call them “trainers.”
“Vellies” are the nickname of “veldskoens” which are handmade South African leather shoes or boots.

The use of “dogs” to refer to feet is American.According to Tom Dalzell, author of “Flappers 2 Rappers: American Youth Slang” (Merriam Webster, October 1996), it was during the Jazz Age of the 1920’s that “dogs” was used as a noun to indicate feet.

This Is Day

Spray each blade of grass with rounded drops of dew.
Tickle the cock to crow.
Ruffle the leaves on the heads of the trees.
Call the clouds most beauteous and make them blush in rosy hues.
Take the melted sun, reshaping his sphereous face and push him giddily across the sky. This is day.
This is glorious day.

 

******************************************************

I just had fun here.
I do realise that “sphereous” is not an actual word,
but I like the way it titillates my tongue.
Say it: “sfər-ē-əs”
Fun, right?
🙂