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Streets Well Traveled

I know these streets.
I traveled them well.

On them
I bared my soles.

To them
I bared my soul.

In boots lined with bread bags
I walked on the edge
of every snow-bank that ran their distance
disguised as mountains.

In sneakers and sandals
that sometimes pushed pedals
I chased toads to safety and rescued worms
from puddles of doom.

In once fashionable high-heels
I nonchalantly clicked down concrete
balancing on nails that pushed through plastic long ago
pretending not to notice being noticed.

I walked four-legged best friends
in sunlight and moonlight
to and from that school yard as if we owned the joint.
Six feet on auto pilot.

I mostly walked with my shoes
dangling comfortably in hand
with black bare feet that could walk on glass
without flinching.

I walked in step to the beat
of my own drum and my Walkman
headphones hidden beneath my hair
playing my favorite songs
over and over
step
by
step
I traveled these streets.
They knew me well.

On them
I bared my soles.

To them
I bared my soul.

~ smj

Hometown Glory, by Adele

Posted on July 14, 2010 at 4:24 pm in Poetic Escapes, poetry   |  RSS feed |   Reply   |   Trackback URL

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34 Comments to “Streets Well Traveled”

    
  1. Kavita
    July 14, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    Woww…this was lovely… and moving!!!
    I miss those streets too… boohoo… Life was there, and there was life…

    But it’s ok i guess… I will find s street here too… and soon, they too will know me…

    Keep writing!!! I am lovin’ it!

    Reply
  2. mossy
    July 15, 2010 at 12:19 am

    Isn’t life just a metaphor for our inner life?

    Reply
    • Samantha
      July 24, 2010 at 10:51 pm

      I suppose. It’s all relative, right? Maybe most things boil down to a matter of perspective & perception… ?

      Reply
      • mossy
        July 25, 2010 at 1:59 am

        I meant that we have an experience of knowing ourselves in yet another way (eg One who would rescue worms) and then we transfer the experience to something external. It would be beautiful if we did not forget that it was a metaphor. As it is we hardly know that we exist.

        Reply
  3. Kavita
    July 15, 2010 at 12:44 am

    pretty much everything around us is metaphorical of life… quite amazing how it works out to be that way! :)

    Reply
  4. buttercup600
    July 15, 2010 at 12:47 am

    This was awesome …loved the part…To them I bared my soul…as you moved mine :) Hugs x

    Reply
  5. Harshika
    July 15, 2010 at 4:38 am

    OMG!!! childhood times :)

    Reply
  6. Ilakya Spandhanaa
    July 15, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    Exactly how I feel about the road in my apartment!!! It seems like it means nothing at all, but when you think about it, there is more connection than we can ever imagine. Amazing Sam! :)

    Reply
    • Samantha
      July 24, 2010 at 11:04 pm

      Ilakya – =) thanks. and right… the connection… good word…

      This was inspired after I took a drive past my old house… a house I lived in my whole life until I moved out when I married…. It’s only about a 10 minute car ride from where I live now… but, seems like a world apart when I think about it.

      I drove past my old stomping grounds.. and when I thought about how many times I walked that neighborhood… all I’d been thru on those streets.. I was overcome with nostolgia… and I thought, “if these streets could talk!” lol but, in a way.. I also felt like I don’t know them anymore… so much has changed… I don’t know them or the people on them like I use to.. and vice versa… sorta sad. I felt like I was visiitng an old friend that I had grown apart from and didn’t really know anymore… just as I have grown and changed myself…

      Anyway – thanks for the read and nice comment. =)

      Reply
  7. 47whitebuffalo
    July 15, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    Hi. I like the way you employed the word ‘sole/s’ –as bottom of feet and the play on ‘soul’ –bare feet on broken glass–that’s a powerful image of being able to endure pain. Lots going on in this poem–all that latent sexuality in the high heels combined with being noticed….oh yeah.

    Reply
    • Samantha
      July 24, 2010 at 11:09 pm

      Hi there 47WB =) Always good to “see” you… and thank you for letting me know you were here. The “soul” and “sole” thing was an afterthought as I got going on the body of this… but, I liked the way it played out. I felt it was fitting…
      and, glad you liked the comment on the high heels.. I laugh now.. remembering those first high heels I loved so much that I was either wearing them or carrying them and walking barefoot at all times… I don’t know how the hell I walked in them now when I look back… lol

      Reply
  8. Ilakya Spandhanaa
    July 16, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Hey Sam, Ive nominated you for the Pink Award.. id be happy if you accepted it :) Thanks

    http://rhythmofmysoul.wordpress.com/accolades-i-treasure/

    Reply
  9. absurdoldbird
    July 19, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    Feeling the passage of time through the feet – good metaphor as we’re so rooted to the ground, to the planet, as we move forward in time.

    Val

    Reply
    • Samantha
      July 24, 2010 at 11:12 pm

      Val –
      Thank you. This was one of those poems sparked by some very literal memories… that happen to have all kinds of natural metaphor possibilities to play into.. Glad you caught that and liked this. =)

      Reply
  10. contoveros
    July 21, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    I travel them . . . in desert boots and Converse sneakers after graduating from Keds and Buster Brown’s.

    michael j

    Reply
    • Samantha
      July 24, 2010 at 11:15 pm

      michael – =) I bet you have… and, I bet you have also traveled them well.. with many good memories and lessons learned in them. Personally, I’d like to hear about the Converse sneakers times.. =) I don’t know why.. something just tells me there’s some good stories behind them… ?

      Thanks for the read. =)

      Reply
  11. chris
    July 30, 2010 at 9:29 am

    I love
    “In boots lined with bread bags”…
    I just learned this year that, kids in snowy climates often have bread bags over feet when they go out to walk andplay in the snow.

    Its a great image .

    Reply
  12. The Dark Lord
    August 12, 2010 at 4:02 am

    Beautiful poetry, a treat to those who read it.. You overwhelm, with your poetic license.
    Loved the progress, and the “feel” of the poem.. the Journey of yours you take your readers through.. One of the finest I’ve read in a long time..

    Reply
    • Samantha
      August 30, 2010 at 7:09 am

      DL –
      So glad you enjoyed this…. Thanks. and, sorry for such a long-time-coming thank you… but, a heart-felt thank you nonetheless for your very gracious and flattering comment. Much appreciated.

      Reply
  13. bindo
    August 15, 2010 at 7:09 pm

    Well now, another outstanding poem, flexing its blackened toes into our own soles and souls.

    Reply
  14. namelessneed
    August 18, 2010 at 10:10 am

    what a sweet poem/ and I can so relate
    thanx friend

    Reply
  15. An Imperfect Servant
    September 10, 2010 at 10:08 am

    I’ve know streets like this. Thank you for taking me back, Sam.

    Reply
  16. Jingle
    April 5, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    wow, thanks for linking…
    A++

    always enjoy your style, keep it up.

    Reply
  17. zumpoems
    September 29, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    Great stanza: In boots lined with bread bags
    I walked on the edge
    of every snow-bank that ran their distance
    disguised as mountains

    Love how you mix things up — keep the reader moving forward.

    Reply
    • Samanthamj
      January 23, 2012 at 5:17 pm

      zum – came back to add a tune to this post… and, saw I missed your comment from way back. Sorry about that. I’m glad you liked this…. The bread-bad line seemed to hit home with a few… which surprised me… thanks much… hopefully better late than never. =)

      Reply
    

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