Shoelaces 

Untied and tripping

Our laughter bouncing off the walls of this castle that is ours to adventure.

Shoelaces 

2 perfect bows 

Even loops arranged artfully on each side

A nervous breath 

2 

Then we walk forward into this unknown that is ours to unravel.

Shoelaces 

Laid bare 

Trying to thread them back through the silver-lined holes 

Trying to sew ourselves back up 

Tears splashing on their dirty gray polyester.

Shoelaces 

Licking the sidewalk as 

We run 

             we run

                          we run

Somehow we never step on them. 

Shoelaces. 

They are battered.

They’ve been with me every step of the way.

Tied in a tight tapered bow

Or dragged down crushing under shoe into concrete

We have bled 

We have wept 

We have fled 

We have kept 

On going 

With our shoelaces 

Unraveling 

Slowly

Until they are just ragged little bits of string but 

Shoelaces are more than

Shoelaces.