THE REASON WE TRY ON NEW SHOES

 

what we get mostly
is what we have taken;

cities full of strangers
like coffeebeans spilled
on the floor

 

airplanes vanishing to folds of a newspaper
curling up next to the eggshells

 

and a person in a room somewhere

 

listening to the radio

 

watering a cactus

 

and putting off looking
at their phone.

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what we get
is sometimes what we are given;

 

a reason to say I love you

 

and a reason to try on new shoes.

 

a reason to want
to shell peas with our thumbs
and make sure we get all of our vitamins;

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a person who wants us
to try on a hat for them.

 

to make just enough money
and come home.