This poem was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the 28th of September 2019. I wrote this poem after reflecting on how I have grown as a person over the years. And the symbol of shoes just came naturally to me— the symbol perfectly encapsulates one’s identity at a certain point of time. As a result, this poem just flowed right out. Hope you enjoy!
My feet feel different
They’ve grown bigger
I don’t fit my shoes.
My toes have to curl to fit
My heels can feel the rubber.
I put on a different pair,
A bigger pair, mature pair.
Right first then the left.
I take my first steps
Like a baby
The fit is better.
I walk
Around my room
Around my history
Where I’ve been
From the lands of fairy tales
To the lands in the next country.
I leave home
To go to the street
I don’t have anything with me
But my self
And my feet.
Where should I go?
I go to school
I stop scribbling with jumbo crayons
I write with a pen
I stop sulking and sobbing over spilled milk
I cry over heartbreak and rejection
I stop dreaming about what ifs
I get my work done.
I look back.
The home I left
Has disappeared from view
I see a new home
On the nearby horizon
I’ve come a really long way.
My feet feel
Different
A bit worn in from the worn out shoes
I’m not the same person
As when I started.
To grow I had to outgrow my shoes.
They don’t fit again anymore.
But I have a feeling
A new pair is on its way
All I have to do is keep walking.
Regina Co 