a pair of old cowboy boots

a pair of old cowboy boots (1950s)

Kenny and I always wanted

a pair of cowboy boots

there was no money for such

a childish wish

one day walking

in the woods

we stumbled upon a trash dump

someone richer than us

had discarded what

we considered treasures

we found old comic books

an old alarm clock

that worked, once we banged

it against a tree trunk

but the greatest find was a child’s

pair of old brown leather cowboy boots

decorated with fancy stitching

falling to the ground we tried them on

me first, but they were too small

two sizes too large for Kenny

he put them on and strutted around

almost fell over trying to wear them

we died laughing

we had found a pair of cowboy boots

and we had to make them work

at least for Kenny

if not for me

we walked home and

went straight

to the outhouse

we tore numerous pages from

Sears Roebuck’s catalog

wadded them up and stuck

them down in the boots

behind Kenny’s heels

they were not the greatest fit

but we were now two cowboys

one with a pair of boots

and the other claiming that

he had left his boots at Miss Kitty’s place