Toe Steppers Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

What others regard as minor.
Meaning nothing to them at all.
Some may perceive,
As an intentional offense.
Done to do,
Either from imbedded ignorance.
Or from being accustomed to doing,
Something disrespectful.
And doing this,
To whomever they please.

"You stepped on my toes."

-I did what? -

"You...
Stepped.
On my toes! "

-There just toes.
Get over it.-

"They are my toes.
Connected to my foot.
Affecting the way I walk.
And most important of all,
I felt it.
As if the doing had been intended."

-What a sensitive thing,
To admit and say.
What do you expect.
An apology to hear from me?
Maybe a mistake to make.
And you were in the way of it? -

"No.
Too much time has passed.
For me to expect,
From you to ask.
I'm not sensitive about what you did.
Not at all.
But...
I want you to remember,
What you did to not forget.
You may take what you did for granted.
However...
Some who are taken for granted,
To then dismiss.
May put someone like you,
On their 'forget-not-list'."

-Oh yeah?
Is that right? -

"Yep."

-So...
What does that mean?
What are you going to do? -

"Remember you.
In ways like you have never before,
Been remembered."

-You people.
Your approach is...
Kinda kinky.
I ain't into it.-

"Neither am I.
Like I said,
These...are...my...toes!
And you stepped on them.
With intent to do it.
I will remember you.
In ways...
Both of us will not soon forget."

-Why are you taking this so personal? -

"Whose toes are these.
Whose pain has been felt.
And who ignored the act of it?
To believe and think okay to do? "