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Bolt Bus: Ellen Sleeps

Christine Jupp

By Christine JuppPublished 3 years ago 1 min read
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Bolt Bus: Ellen Sleeps
Photo by Oziel Gómez on Unsplash

I wear boots

They clunk and caress

They carry me

Until the soles wear thin

And one erodes

More than the other

On that side

That’s felt ankle twist sprain

One to many times

It’s weaker now

But i know how to care

For it.

I wear boots that hurt

In countries that scare me

And challenge

My fortitude

myself.

They rub on my ankles

Making blisters

Half a golf ball in size

Squeezing pinky toe

Strangulation.

They keep my moving

Dry

Protected

Reminding me that what i need

Isn’t often

Comfortable

I wear them until

My foot kneads into the leather

Until the groove

The arch of me

Becomes them.

Until these boots need me.

I wear my boots

That stomp

And I play along

Pretending I belong here

Stern face and quickened step

So convincing

That I’m spoken to

In languages

I can’t understand

But I do

Because tone weighs tons

And body language

Is universal

When it’s four inches from your face

In gurgled rattling,

Until that kind greek man

Pulls him back

By the coat

And watches

Until he is out of sight;

Thumbs up he gives me

Thumbs up

I say back.

And I wear boots

Until they fall apart

And I mourn them when they go,

These workhorse beauties

That carry me

We break each other

In mutual manner

With purpose

And need.

I’m sorry

I thought about selling you

In Berlin

because your soul may be hard,

But you’ve softened

mine.

slam poetry
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About the Creator

Christine Jupp

I call Portland my home, even though I don't see it often.

Mostly poetry.

Some prose and short stories.

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