By John Harrington I
O how euphoric a feeling
It is to stub one’s toe
On some corner or hidden object!
How blessedly accessible are such snags,
Always lying in anticipation,
Never acting expectedly!
From the leg of a table,
To the leg of a body, the shock shoots up,
Obscenely causing to curl both foot and mouth.
The pleasant surprise arises
More mightily than muscle soreness
Or a pull, or a swift kick in the shin.
It knocks one’s socks off,
Paralyzes, stuns, transfixes,
Makes numb with glee.
It requires only one small toe,
Not even a knee or heroic heel,
To bring unbearable woe!