The pain in my body is telling me
I have to go
The kids will be home in 2 hours
This is the perfect time
I pick up my phone
Check one more time
I consult the carefully planned list
6 meals
That's what need to buy
And still get the not so perfectly coloured
Shoes
Shoes I will wear to work
I will walk my children to school in them
I will wear them into the alley to collect cans
I will wear them until they look like the ones I have on right now
Bottoms bare
Sponge soles exposed
Cracks along the stress points
They collect water, slush and snow
Like I collect cans to get to 6
The smell of them reminds me of how I feel
After not eating for 3 meal times
But I don't think of that
When I am tucking in my content children
I know people move away from me because of that smell
I have to leave them outside at night
But when I make my choices
I do what’s right
The store isn’t too busy today
I like it that way
I can keep better count without having to make it
Obvious
I check my math
I’m good at math
Everything is too much
Why isn’t it adding up right
I need 6
6 is the smallest number I can get
There is only one way
I have the fear of being 89 cents wrong
But the new math is right
I have the 6 I need
My old shoes can make it one more month
After all they already know
The paths a walk
It will be Spring in just 4 months.
