barefoot

barefoot, we walked from one
house to the next, halfhopping
the gravel driveway to the relative
relief of the tarmacadamed road,
baked just enough to smart
young, shoe-sequestered feet

barefoot, we found the road peppered
with islands: horseturd patties,
tireflattened and desiccated, the
strawlattice carpeting a soothing
intermission in our awkward progress

barefoot, we skipped on down the hill to
where the brackened floor of the woods began,
cracking to the tune of our heels

barefoot, we paused a little to contemplate
the silent noise ;never the long-ago reason we
left our sneakers and socks behind