Cary Briel

Smelly feet–
or just FEET–
leave me conflicted,
and often sickened
well– with smelly, always sickened!

But, in general
it can be
a holy-crapshoot
whether I’ll believe, or not,
I’d ever lean

in and touch one.
Or– I’ll seethe
if one should touch me
even inadvertently!
The pedicure women

who are gloveless,
bathe, it seems,
in matter that I cannot
discuss on an empty stomach,
lest I vomit,

though I know Chris would.
Chris has made note,
cavalierly, even indifferently,
as she can on such matters,
and be not sickened,

that those gloveless fiends
will, with fingernail,
exposed as sand to sun,
scrape flesh and cuticle,
and bite their nails when they’re done.