by Michael Benedikt

    The European Shoe is covered with grass and reed， bound up and wound

    around so that it may slip easily over the wearer's head.

    In case you are an aircraft pilot， you must take care that the

    European Shoe does not creep off your foot， and begin to

    make its way carefully across the fusilage.

    The European Shoe pressed against the fugitive's nose， preventing it

    from imminent¹ departure.

    The European Shoe spends summers in delightful² ways. A lady feels its

    subtle and unexpected pressure the length of her decolletage.

    （It winters in pain）。

    That time I lent you my European Shoe you departed with a look of

    grandeur³， and in total disrepair.

    The European Shoe knocks on the door of the carefree farmerette. "The

    harvest has been gathered in， ha， ha，" it says， moving shyly forth⁴

    along the edge of the couch.

    I pointed⁵ to the European Shoe. I ate the European Shoe. I married

    the European Shoe.

    Tears fall from the eye of the European Shoe as it waves goodbye to us

    from the back balcony of the speeding train……

    It helps an old lady， extremely crippled and arthritic⁶， move an

    enormous cornerstone. It invents a watch which， when wound up

    tightly， flies completely to pieces.

    It was a simple and dignified⁷ ceremony， distinguished⁸ for its gales⁹ of

    uncontrollable laughter， in which I married the European Shoe.

    If it rains， the European Shoe becomes very heavy. I failed to cross

    the river， where thousands of European Shoes lay capsized.

    And so we lived alone， we two， the envy of our neighborhood， the

    delight of our lively hordes¹⁰ of children.

    I saw a flightful of graceful¹¹ sparrows heading to distant，

    half-forgotten islands， over the distant seas； and in the midst of

    that annually¹² questing company， I saw the European Shoe.

    It never harmed anyone， and yet it never really helped anyone.

    Gaily it sets out into the depths of my profoundest closet， to do

    battle with the dusts of summer……

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