Poem: Broken Shoes

These broken shoes
Should probably be replaced
But I
Know they have a
Memory.

They were present
When she made the
Unexpected decision
To wake up and
Go flying.
They walked her out
And back in
The South African airport
They walked her up
And back down
The trail to the falls.
They were once soaked through
And through
With Zambezi water.

Then they walked
On red soil
Overlooking canyon walls,
Desert varnish,
Purple shadows,
Painted figures and hand prints
Like ghosts on the rocks.

These shoes
They played with children
Ten shades darker.
Walked alongside friends,
The kind met once in a lifetime.
Picked up countless
Burrs and thorns and grass seeds.
Like a sponge
Soaked up all the
Long-awaited rains
And the sunshine, too.

These broken shoes
Should probably be replaced
But I
Will ignore the holes,
Patch them with tape
To keep them alive
Awhile longer.

Broken shoes, you see,
They have a
Memory.