One Day, I Saw My Toes
One day, I saw my toes again —
I hadn’t seen them in months.
They were done for,
My dearest friends.
When I was small, I’d watch them one by one,
Count them carefully, all the way to ten.
I’d put them in my mouth, tasting the difference
Between the big and the little.
I loved them more than my eyes,
More than my elbow, my heart, my tonsils.
But as the years went by,
My toes and I drifted apart.
Now pale, knotted, and full of blame,
Each one lifts a quiet accusation.
I hide them quickly
Back inside my shoes.
