one brown shoe

you sit in the shoe store

and remove

one shoe, to put the new shoe on,

a brown dress shoe,

out of the box.

you look at it

in the small floor mirror,

then you give

it a test walk

down the aisle, an awkward

half limp

march from one

end of the store

and back.

do you need another pair

of shoes?

dress shoes, at that?

hardly.

but it sure feels good

and looks

nice in your shorts

and white sock.