The Blue Footprints

Ages 6-9

Rishy rubs away the chalk marks beside her flower.

One long smudge crosses the footprint her friend draws along the path.

Her friend stops with the chalk above the next print.

Rishy looks at the missing toes.

"I did that."

She puts down the cloth and picks up a piece of blue chalk.

Her friend holds his shoe above the smudged print.

Rishy draws a curve where the toes used to be. It is too short.

Her friend lowers the shoe beside it, flat on the pavement.

Rishy follows its front edge with the chalk. She moves the shoe and joins the new curve to the old heel.

Beside her knee, the flower's last petal stays unfinished.

Her friend places his shoe beyond the repaired print. Rishy draws the next outline around it.

At the end of the path, two blue footprints point away from her unfinished flower. The repaired one has a wide dark line across its toes.