Every time I walk outside
after a friendly or
enemy rain – the snails
have crawled
out from the
concrete canyons and crevices
under my front door step –
and often times – when
it hasn’t rained in a while
– I forget
until I feel and hear
the crunch of a shell –
and feel bad about
the whole thing.
Sometimes I don’t wear shoes –
it helps me remember – but if
I forget it’s worse.
And sometimes it rains
so much that
I can’t help but remember.
Tonight it rained
for the first time in months:
my shoes are wet –
should I just stay inside
my shell? or should
I leave this place
through the back
door?