we took out thorns and stones from the soles of our feet
torn and black from running
on the ground, gravel, asphalt
all summer
we cleaned them every night before going to sleep
the time has come to put the soles into shoes
because you don't go to school barefoot
they buy us new shoes a size bigger
and you need to tuck in those soles
to curb them to fit somehow
and we're already walking in them tomorrow
slowly
we make painful steps of remembrance in summer