Barefoot

Location

55337
United States
44° 46' 33.0168" N, 93° 16' 6.3192" W

I want to be barefoot.
I want to leave my shoes behind.
I want to feel the gravel,
touch the squish in the tar,
feel the temperature amplified on concrete
left alone: Trampled, Washed, Dirtied,
And beat down upon.
I want that connection between who I am
and where I’m going,
to feel the sharpness that radiate upwards
telling me here I am,
Keep going.
I want to see the blood
and Burst the blisters.
I want to have sand under my nails.
I want to pick up the parts of where I’m going
and carry them with me.
I want the pads of my feet to be ridden
with the steps of my past.
I don’t want to be able to slip that off,
Purchase a new sole for $17.99
There’s a reason it’s called that, you know.
What part of you shows best where you’ve been,
— What part of you shows the scars that have healed, —
What part of you tells you so explicitly
that you must keep walking on?
I want to be exposed.
I want to let my spirit hang out.
I want to run,
leap,
soar through the street and
leave nothing but
the stench of my jubilee
behind.
I want my footprints in the sand
— For I was there, not a Nike mark —
I want to compress against the tree bark as I climb
And sink into the mud as I jump.
The breeze will be my AirJordans;
The dirt will be my custom sole.
The grass will be my laces,
And for once,
I’ll beat them all.

Comments

VincentoGriffith

*snaps*

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741