An Ode To Toe

Hidden so deeply under leather and cotton
yearning for the release from it's restrictive prison. A toe lies in wait, twitching and flinching, wondering when it will next see the light of day. Crowded and cramped by it's taller skinnier brother, it flounders and flops taking what liberties it can while respecting the proximity and attachment to something bigger than he.
A small gathering of hair holds a celebration of triumph, standing atop the chubby protrusion of bone and flesh. Temporarily matted and oppressed by this system of containment called shoe. Hoping, anticipating, living, for that moment in time when the host will release them from their bonds. It comes not soon enough, they concede for now, choosing to remain prostrate to a higher calling of which they have no understanding.
Evolution has created this marvel of horror and beauty, a stabilizing appendage of biological construct, yet less significant than his cousin opposable thumb who comes to visit when the call goes out for assistance. A indulgent scratch, a tug, a traumatic intervention of cropping. The harvest? Keratin Protein. The majestic and equally mis-understood toe nail.
Thumb has purpose, he has use. Jealousy creeps into the primitive mind, we have purpose, we have meaning. Respect is something lacking for our friend, yet admiration is on the horizon. For were it not for this unsung hero, aesthetics become challenged, balance becomes skewed, and the greater system would be less for not having known him. For he is... Toe.