It was early morning, 5:30.
I pushed Mari in the dog cart,
holding Ginger by the leash.

Near the dumpster
was a pair of nice men’s shoes.
I had no use for them.
But they looked very nice.
I could add them
to my boxes for Goodwill.
I picked them up
and put them in the cart.

I was going to resume pushing
when, to my horror,
a face peered
from behind a cardboard box.
A young man with a beard,
and handsome.

“I am so sorry,” I told him,
and quickly put his shoes back.
I took off, moving fast,
laughing,
and shaking inside.
I just took a pair of shoes
from a homeless man.
I felt awful.

He looked an educated man
who fell on hard times.
So many now
are one paycheck away.

An hour later,
the dogs wanted another walk.
Mari headed in the same direction.
I decided to check
if he was still there.

He was,
still hiding behind the big box.
But this time he was wiser.
He hid his shoes with him.

We walked on.
I laughed.
At least I taught him something.
If you sleep behind a big cardboard box,
hide your shoes as well.

It taught me a lesson too.
Look twice next time.

— Trudi Hsu, with Claude