Shoes

free verse poem <3

You never know unless you see someone’s shoes

How do they look? Are they dirty?

Dirtiness does not define a person, and shoes for that matter.

Maybe that just means that they walk a lot.

Maybe they stepped in a muddy puddle.

Maybe they’re poor, and can’t afford new shoes.

Maybe the shoe design is that way.

~~~

Here’s the thing.

Shoes do not define a person, as said before.

It depends on the moment.

They can tell a story, sure,

About how it’s the person’s favourite pair,

Or they stole from a two-faced store,

Or they borrowed their friend’s pair, 

Where they don’t have an emotional bond towards the shoes.

Whatever the case, there is always a story to uncover.

~~~

If you see me wearing black-soled brown boots,

Know that I have wanted them for a long time

And they were a Christmas gift

From people that I love, Santa Claus,

Or rather, my parents.

I love them dearly.

I used to not care about shoes, 

But now I do, because they help me walk

And they tell a story I tell them to tell.

If I ever want to feel a certain way,

Like Badass,

Courageous,

Strong,

Sexy,

Dangerous,

Emotionally available,

Closed off,

I have a pair of shoes for that.

They also hold precious memories.

If I want to remember my trip to Orlando,

I grab the camo-pink-platform Converse

To tie them with my Van Halen shirt from American Eagle.

If I want to feel like Barbie,

I grab the stiletto-hot pink-duck-yellow-sunset-orange shoes

To wear my pink tank top with.

If I want to feel like a librarian from the 1940’s,

I grab my shiny-black-soled-platform-beige shoes,

To combine with my brown tartan dress.

The point is that

When I want to embody different parts of me,

I wear that pair to get through the day

Even if it is just sneakers

Because I did not have the energy to choose some nicer shoes.

~~~

I don’t care what others think of me.

I only care what I think of me

(Other than my dearest friends)

Because if I can care for me

I can care for others.

When a stranger compliments my pair of zebra shoes

I know I am not only spreading joy to myself

But (at least) to one other person.

When I wore my blue suede heels at prom

I didn’t mind to touch the ground with my bare feet

Because I trusted the people I danced with

And I was not used to dancing in heels.

The important thing is that

I didn’t think about shoes for once

And that felt good.