Carrying us everywhere
like a pack mule,
with a mouth
Parched
Like the Sahara.
For without shoes
We could not trek
To the far ends
of the world,
Ends covered with ice as cold as
The dark side of the moon.
With sand
hot enough
to melt the
a-- of Iron Man

Shoes are like love
At the beginning
Shoes are shiny, noticeable
Like the falling star
That no one wishes upon
Except for one,
The tormented triple amputee
Praying, hoping, wishing for
Happiness

Like love, shoes start off
Strong
Like a single mother polar bear
Preparing for hibernation
Struggling to scavenge
The last bit of fish
From under the ice cap
Tearing through the ice
As if it were wet paper

These shoes, like love
Show no wear and tear
Yet

For shoes grow old
Like the old man
In a nursing home
Playing chess by himself
All alone
Epitome of a male widow
With a decreasing heartbeat
That beats
Ever so slow

Like all people, events, various miscellaneous items
Shoes must come
To an end