These Shoes Poem by Asher Proschansky

These shoes have walked with me
So their soles are thin
And their uppers worn
Stitching is ripped
Shoelaces torn
Tongues are spent
Inner Souls unglued

Passing the shoe store
New shoes are staring
Out of the display
looking down at my buddies
(who look up in dismay)
looking down with scorn
Superior in their leathery
Uppitiness, their thick ample soles
resplendent with clean stitching
and patterned finery

I look down at my buddies
Who feebly seek approval from me
Will you still keep us
Will you still walk with us
As we've walked with you
Through mud and sleet
and rain and hail
We kept to your feet
We did not bail
through job interviews
and babies born
and piggy back rides
and weight gains
we sacrificed our hides

Well the new shoes I needed
But the old had to be kept
Of this much I was sure
I'd buy the new
make them subservient to the old
And I would have a small fleet
of young respectful to the elderly
All in support of my feet