We used to walk
Mother and I
And look at other people’s flowers
Sometimes Marylin came
She was already in school
And she was my first love
As we walked I would take off my shoes
Because of the glass on the streets
My father forbade this
But always after pleading
My mother would relent
And I would never cut my feet
But one day I did
My father was furious
But he hoped at least I had learned something
And I had
It is worth the cut
To have your feet bare
When you gaze upon the flowers
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