My good foot.
TOES
The big toe is called a toe
not a fancy name like thumb
which, I suppose is also a finger
of which I have the requisite number
ten of course, with a ring
on my ring finger calling out
my marital status in a fine
textured tungsten my wife
has two in different sizes
but she has the requisite
number of toes, ten also
matchy matchy which I love
anointing with lotions
making up for my loss
of five toes that never returned
from the market or let’s
be specific the Winnipeg
General Hospital. My toes
remaining are now five,
noting again the big toe
recognized for its size
but alas the remaining
four are sad examples
once again hammertoes
bleeding into my shoes
after bleeding through
my compression socks
my doctors complain
about the degree of difficulty
in straightening my bones
those in my remaining
five toes the easiest
one might think, unless
grabbing for tarmac
they remember my
left foot, amputated
on my says so
April 5, 2018
the ankle fusion
a failure and all five
toes lost in the
operating theatre
well-lit for their
final bow.