My Shoes

My shoes have traveled miles of roads Their soles are worn quite thin Struggling with this heavy load I carry deep within Beyond repair, no longer shine Scuffed with many stains It's mostly been an uphill climb Some sunny days, some rain A little big when they were new With ample room to grow This green stain here on my left shoe Was puberty's first blow Those salt stains there, that's sweat and tears Still damp from being heartbroken They've darkened some throughout the years Old wounds that were reopened There are no stains from happy tears I finally understood Obviously they disappeared Right after parenthood All these scuff marks 'long the sides Well they're from clumsiness From times I fell and hurt my pride A reminding subsequence They've danced and skated, loved and dated Walked a few high wires Death devastated, been mismated Even walked through hell's hot fires It's said that one can tell a lot By looking at one's shoes Until you've worn these shoes I've got You really have no clue an original poem by Daniel Turner NOT FOR CONTEST