School Shoes

I loved the pond near my auntie’s.

Just a short walk from the village.

I could get right up close 

and peer into the water.

That was how I saw the frogs.

They were not easy to catch but

I managed it eventually, one at a time.

I kissed each carefully

to make sure they were real frogs,

didn’t want one of those prince things.

Then I put them in my shoe and placed

my other shoe on top

so that they couldn’t jump out.

I walked back barefoot 

over the rough ground

and the village street.

I discovered that my mother and auntie

were afraid of frogs.

Perhaps they would have preferred princes.

They didn’t like the barefoot walk either.

My dirty feet would show them up, 

they said.

And worse! They were my school shoes,

which were also my only shoes

and now they were smelly with pond water

and frogs!

But my uncle was cool

said they were good for the garden.

So I watched them leapfrog through his garden.

I hoped they’d be happy there.

He told me they were,

but I never saw them again.

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