James and his shoe

James woke up one night
To see his shoe lying beside his pillow
He flung it to the ground in revulsion
"Now why did you do that?" the shoe asked
"Don't I have a right to rest
Having walked the world with you?
You may have seen the sights
But I walked the road
You have been in temples
But I was left outside
You walked in comfort
I took the damp, and the stones and the kicks..."

He mulled over these chastening words
He saw deep truth in these words of his shoe
Who however cares for a shoe that bites
Or uses its tongue for purposes it was not intended for?
At the crack of dawn he rose
Picked up the unfortunate pair
And flung them into the street.
They hit a passing mendicant.

Dazed and bewildered by this assault
He looked at the shoes in shock
Then gratitude
As he picked them up tenderly, wiped them on his tunic
And carefully put them on
A look of bliss suffused his face
And breathing a word of thanks
To his unknown assailant and benefactor
He walked with a lofty stride
Down the dusty road.