Tracks

By Kooser, Ted

From Valentine's Day, 1997. “Using a cobbler's shoe last...”

Using a cobbler's shoe last
I found one summer at a yard sale,
and the heavy leather uppers
from cast off boots, a jigsaw,
some wood, an awl and thread,
and a few evenings sitting alone
thinking of you, I have fashioned
a pair of red valentine shoes
with heart-shaped heels.
Look for my tracks on your doorstep
where I stood with sore feet
through the evening, too timid to knock.

Submitted by: Cory Preus (web site 1, web site 2), who wrote: “Telling you about myself is optional, eh? Well, I'll tell you. I'll tell you right and I'll tell you all. I simply laugh.” About the poem, he explained: “Ted Kooser is a poet who spoke at my alma matter in 1997 about his craft. Every year, he write a Valentine's poem, prints it on a card and gives it to people.”

Submitted by: Cory Preus (web site 1, web site 2), who wrote: “Telling you about myself is optional, eh? Well, I'll tell you. I'll tell you right and I'll tell you all. I simply laugh.” About the poem, he explained: “Ted Kooser is a poet who spoke at my alma matter in 1997 about his craft. Every year, he write a Valentine's poem, prints it on a card and gives it to people.”