Exactly what do you want me to do
with this, the shoe man says. I work with soles.
Well yes, I say, but I could really use
a recondition—and I read about
your gentle cleaning process that helps strip
away the dirt accumulated over
time, and how your Top-Coat Prime Refinish
makes what’s old look new and feel good
again. Oh lady, says the cobbler, I
am sorry. Look, your shoes are scuffed a little,
I can shine them up, but I can’t do
a thing about your heart. He looks me in
the eye the way that only other broken
hearts can look. I do not start to cry,
but I think he can gather by the way
that I stare blankly at the floor just how
plum desperate I’ve become. Some things, he says,
work better when they’re broken. Then he’s off
to use his polish, glue and rags, to fix
the things that can be fixed.