almost the same

my wife sells shoes at an upscale department store in west des moines, while i work in the offices of a bank. the way we deal with people at our jobs is so very different but we always come together again at the end of the day, and i try to imagine parallels that will provide continuity in our lives. at my job we used to have a contractor who would bring in donuts every friday (to keep his employment!) and this poem is about my reflections around this. 'Donald Pliner' is a high-end brand of shoe.

I thought of you, while
leaning back in my chair
at work eating one of
those donuts that someone
brings in every friday. I knew
you’d never be so lucky;
on break with powdered sugar
on your shirt. instead, you’ll stand
all day for impatient customers,
measuring feet
with that odd, flat, boat-like ruler
that always gave away my toe, raised
skyward like a flag
on the bowsprit of my foot.
while I smell fresh cake donuts,
you smell musty feet and the crumbs
they carry in their shoes
from suburb breakfasts of english muffins and
cornflakes. I can’t protect you
from these things or the report cards from
the kids, tv, or even the drunk tomorrow night
whose wheels will jump the curb and
plow into the person strutting
with the pair of donald pliners you sold today.
I can’t protect you from this,
but I can love you,
and hope that I’ll see you again, unscathed,
maybe almost the same as before.