Jesse’s not happy, standing
at the door with one arm
in his coat sleeve, whining
about my ankle high, brown
boots that I hope will keep
my feet dry from the slush
covered ground instead
of the superstar adidas
I always wear. I explain
it’s wet outside, but he keeps
repeating white sneakers, black
stripes to show how upsetting
this is for him. I could share
the history behind my only
fashion statement to show,
like him, I totally prefer
things to remain the same,
the way I’ll find something
I love and cling to it, like
old girl friends I still miss,
how my feet evolved from PF
Flyers into low black Cons
until Timmy Flanagan, point
guard, high scorer of our sixth
grade basketball team flashed
those bright white, low riding,
leather shell tops for our season
opener. My father said no way
he’d pay $25.99 for sneakers.
Besides, I was a much better
baseball player, did I know
how much cleats cost? I nagged
mom until she asked Grandpa
for the money. At first they felt
heavy, kind of clunky and I seemed
a step slower filling the wings,
lifting off the ground for rebounds.
But after weeks of pounding
the asphalt all day, every day,
the bottoms grew lighter,
the leather molded around
my feet, fit like a second skin
and I became an antelope,
streaking down the court
at the door with one arm
in his coat sleeve, whining
about my ankle high, brown
boots that I hope will keep
my feet dry from the slush
covered ground instead
of the superstar adidas
I always wear. I explain
it’s wet outside, but he keeps
repeating white sneakers, black
stripes to show how upsetting
this is for him. I could share
the history behind my only
fashion statement to show,
like him, I totally prefer
things to remain the same,
the way I’ll find something
I love and cling to it, like
old girl friends I still miss,
how my feet evolved from PF
Flyers into low black Cons
until Timmy Flanagan, point
guard, high scorer of our sixth
grade basketball team flashed
those bright white, low riding,
leather shell tops for our season
opener. My father said no way
he’d pay $25.99 for sneakers.
Besides, I was a much better
baseball player, did I know
how much cleats cost? I nagged
mom until she asked Grandpa
for the money. At first they felt
heavy, kind of clunky and I seemed
a step slower filling the wings,
lifting off the ground for rebounds.
But after weeks of pounding
the asphalt all day, every day,
the bottoms grew lighter,
the leather molded around
my feet, fit like a second skin
and I became an antelope,
streaking down the court
and all the way up to today
I’ve been walking around town
in low, shell top, white adidas,
wearing them to year end budget
meetings, fancy weddings, featured
poetry readings, mom’s and dad’s
funerals. But I know all Jesse
needs to hear is white sneakers,
black stripes, January 2025
and he’ll feel safe, believe
that everything will be back
the way it belongs my next
visit and we can walk through
that door, be on our merry way.
I’ve been walking around town
in low, shell top, white adidas,
wearing them to year end budget
meetings, fancy weddings, featured
poetry readings, mom’s and dad’s
funerals. But I know all Jesse
needs to hear is white sneakers,
black stripes, January 2025
and he’ll feel safe, believe
that everything will be back
the way it belongs my next
visit and we can walk through
that door, be on our merry way.
Tony Gloeggler is a life-long resident of NYC who managed group homes for the mentally challenged for over 40 years. His most recent collection, What Kind Of Man with NYQ Books, was a finalist for the 2021 Paterson Poetry Prize and Here on Earth is forthcoming on NYQ Books.
panoply, a literary zine 