emotional gum

we have emotional gum
stuck
to the bottom of our shoes.
the soles.
the soul.
it's hard to remove
once there,
once stuck,
once no longer soft,
no longer sweet or
of use. it clings
to us.
we take a stick and scrape,
we rub it along
the pavement, the curb,
but there's always
a little left
behind,
that takes time
to wear away.