Secondary Bond

The rubber is peeling back from the grain,

a gap where the water gets in.

I’m trying to ignore the coming rain

and the places where I’ve been thin.

I squeeze the tube and a clear, thick drop

lands right on the tip of my nail.

It’s a sticky mess that I cannot stop

like a plan that is starting to fail.

I press the leather against the sole

until my knuckles turn white.

Trying to fill up a leaking hole

in the middle of the night.