"Brown toes curl
down around rocks and roots
searching for grip.
In the mud is hidden stability,
safety in the placement of the foot,
if you know how.

I follow the brown feet in front
their advice is sound
my toes curl like his,
feeling each root's bark,
each stone's edges and curves.

When you walk with the brain
your feet move without you
and you fall in the mud
or trip on a root.

When you walk with your feet
you do not fall
because they are the wiser guide.
let them lead and the body will follow.

After that comes the mind:
an acceptance of the reality,
a trust.
with each jabbing pain of rock or thorn
your feet learn and grow stronger.

I watch the brown feet
ahead of me.
i wish they were mine,
calloused and wise.
they grip roots and rocks,
like a monkey.
and they caress the earth like a lover.
i feel that, in mine too,
my feet send down their own roots
deep into the soil.

With the rich ground beneath my feet:
i had communion."