Not My Shoes

I kept walking until I finally arrived

At a place that felt calm

It forced me to dance

To keep dancing until my shoes wore out

Still, it made me dance

Dance until my feet ached

And then, I fell outside of it

It helped me stand

Gave me another pair of shoes

No—

Not a new pair

Just another worn-out pair, no different

From the ones I was wearing

I wanted to run

To escape, to leave that cursed place

But it held my feet

It held me until I collapsed

Fell face-first

And ended up wounded all over