If I Could Own A Shoe Shop – Elaine Coltham: author and poet

When I was a little girl, shoe shops didn’t sell anything very exciting to wear. So perhaps this was my inspiration for this poem many years later! I imagined all the great types of shoes, boots, sandals and trainers that would take you on amazing adventures. I wanted to make the poem full of colour, beautiful far-away places and dreams coming true…

If I could own a shoe shop
Then I would buy the stocks
There would be edible shoe laces
And MY logo on the socks.

I’d sell football boots like Beckham’s
To make you play your dream
And score four goals for England
Or your local football team.

I’d buy transparent wellies
For playing with the garden hose
And dancing in splashy puddles
Seeing crystal rain upon your toes.

With shimmering purple flip-flops
That would magic you away
To a beach of white gold sand
To watch graceful dolphins play.

I’d sell massive silver space boots
For walking on the moon
Returning to earth on a shuttle
Trailing a billowing vast balloon.

If I could own the world’s shoe shop
Every trainer would be laced with peace
Then all children would live in freedom
And wars and hunger would forever cease.