When years ago my mother-in-law
bemoaned the fact that
to stay steady on her feet
she had to exchange
her stylish heels for flats,
I shrugged off her complaint
as a small concession to growing older.
Now that it's my turn
to scale down to comfortable shoes
I realize that parting with my heels
is more than a minor inconvenience
and may be a kind of dress rehearsal
preparing me for my final leave-taking
which I will undertake unadorned.