At night in bed
when my dear wife reaches
over with her wonderfully
articulate feet
and caresses mine
it's almost as if
a hand with fingers
were touching me
My feet, on the other hand
wholly inarticulate
toes don't spread
arch doesn't curl
and half the time I'm hardly
knowing where they are
still I feel only gratitude
for all the years and miles
both booted and barefoot
they've served as the best
the safest most reliable
mode of transportation
way of getting around

The places they've taken me
soft meadows, sandy beaches
river bottoms, mountain trails
city streets and subways
parks, museums, concert halls
football fields and ski slopes
rarely complaining
asking just the minimum

Lately Ive started
bathing them in epsom salts
scrubbing the bottoms
with a scrub brush in the shower
working in lotion
to keep the skin from drying
It's time, I figure,
to give something back
just shy of my eightieth
year on the planet
I'm hoping they'll still agree
to take me on a trip or two
there's countries and counties
even a continent
ice fields and islands
I have yet to see
Roethke put it out there
old men should be explorers
with two feet to take me
what more could I ask for
I'm ready
let's start walking now