By Misti Velvet Rainwater
Date: 2 October 1998

ugly toe

my big toe is ugly
  scraped raw
by the shoe I wore
because it was perfect
  for that dress
that night I set out
looking for you
or a reasonable facsimile
 the beer and the wine
  and the Long Island Ice Tea
           didn't help
my craziness
  was no compass
dancing myself
  into a sweat
didn't conjure
   you up
no magic
 to my cologne

I wanted you
  and got an ugly toe
         instead