wendy smith - My Feet

From "The Blue Notebook"

My Feet

When I was a child I loved my feet
Put them toe by toe into my mouth, ear, and other orifice
They were an object of delight and ticklement.
As I grew older, we grew apart
They were shoved in shoes and despaired at in sandals
A strange fungus developed covering the big toenail.

Shunned by pedicurists and doctors alike, the fungus spread to other toes
So I wore socks, even to bed
Then I broke both feet in an accident.
The casts covered up the best part of my feet, but revealed the toenails
Demanding attention, my toenails cried out, "j'existe"
Forced to look at them now, I was devastated by such neglect.
For my toes, like the rest of my body, are who I am
It is my soul, not my toes, crying out for attention
Lacking the courage to see this myself, my toes showed greater wisdom than my head.