Bronzing a Sunset

If you think this is beautiful,

Don’t waste time on philosophy

(yes, it is temptation). Instead

Take a moment to contemplate your shoes.

They’ve carried for you

A sample of each soil crossed—

Separated by the schizoid Earth,

You’ve undone their exile with a walk.

Mud and clay and dust, and all those

Residues we keep behind us,

Assign them follies with your whimsy,

And let them harden in the air you’ve earned.

And now, stand a while, watching

From your precipice, while letting

Your shoes sink into the ground,

And solidify this moment’s dusk,

So all who see these prints will know

How only a sunset is enough

To cause shoes who’ve gathered so much Earth

To stand as long as this.