Youth
A child and his mother walk down the street
The boy in front
Each step slapping the ground
His miniature blue flip flops
Flapping away dirt and ants from under foot
The mother watches, the round of her belly
Foreshadowing another flip-flopped one coming soon
Suddenly
The boy limps
His shoe, it seems, has escaped the grasp of his tiny toes
He stops, his stringy black hair flopping into his eyes
The mother watches, the patience and curiosity
Letting him fix it by himself
A slip of the foot
A little jiggle of the big toe
The flip flop is on again
The boy walks
Limping a bit, then fixing to a walk
The mother watches, a step behind him
Her son finding his way