On the Move~

Retied each empty-water-bottle morning
to join the throng of others who push
onward—always moving, moving
what do dust-tongued boots mumble?
How do ragged tennis shoes cry out
to the dirt and asphalt and gravel
that slap against their aching soles
as they take step after step after step?
What song is sad enough to sing?
At night, carried by road-weary parents,
full of sand and sleepy heat, what
nursery rhyme stops with the rip
of Velcro opening to release
sweaty little feet from Keds?
On the seventh homeless week
of walking west and north,
side-stepping the sick and fallen,
stumbling over the world’s borders,
what do broken heels, flip-flops
flattened into flimsy pads,
dress shoes broken by miles
of trudging or running or standing say?
What European Union proverb do they recite,
what United Nations plea do they speak
with each alien footfall? What
does their rambling mean?

Newslinks: CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters

Soundlink: SoundCloud

Poet with a Press Pass features original poems written by Anne McCrady in response to news stories and world events. The series is produced by InSpiritry. More about Anne and InSpiritry is at InSpiritry.com.