A Man with Children by Donal Mahoney

The way I walk these days the tips

of my soles and the edge of my heels

wear out too fast for a man with children.

*

So I tell Rocco, cobbler nonpareil,

“Tack on four steel cleats,

two in front, two in back”

*

so I can walk home between

two full shopping bags

and whatever pride I can summon.

*

All four blocks of concrete,

I’ll keep those cleats from clicking.

Decades ago I wore cleats

*

as big as doubloons;

I struck them so hard sparks

flew from the sidewalk.

*

You bet all the girls

in high school knew

a man was walking behind them.

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Donal Mahoney has had poems published in a variety of print and online publications, including The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Beloit Poetry Journal, Commonweal, Public Republic (Bulgaria), Revival (Ireland), The Istanbul Literary Review (Turkey) and A Golden Place. A native of Chicago, he lives now in St. Louis, Missouri, where he discovered, much to his doctor’s distress, biscuits and gravy.

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Editor’s Note: Please continue praying for Bennett.