Twenty-nine Thousand, One Forty-Nine

Boots in the city,
Boots in town,
Boots that were friendly,
On which are frowned.
Boots that tried
To support much weight,
Boots broken in,
When thrown from the gate.
Boots that blundered,
And finally fell
When sticks and stones
Broke into the shell.
Boots rejected,
Stuck in sand,
Color is faded
By Nature’s demand.
Boots unnoticed,
Seemingly dull,
Tainted by wisdom
Of which they are full.
Boots that bled,
Boots that bore
Twenty-nine thousand
And one forty-nine more.
Boots that survived
Nothing but spite.
Rough in diamonds-
Pale, yet bright.