Aileen Santiago

Phantom Pains

On a hot day in March

I said goodbye to my left foot

And promised I would write

And send word by air mail

My right foot stepped into

The cold waiting on the other side

And steeled itself for

the hard work

To validate the goodbye

My right foot

Bore my weight as I planted

Posts to rest on

It hopped from North York to Scarborough

To Markham and back again

While I sweated, cried, and grunted

I always admired

My right foot

It teetered at times

And wavered at the knee

Yet still stood strong

I felt proud

And others smiled

because my right foot

fit nicely

Into its winter boot

And summer sneaker

But when I finally took time

To look behind me

At an old quiet ache

I was surprised to find

My left foot

Had actually followed

And had been there

All along