the heel · est. mdcccxc
the cobbler does not take new work; only mending. a hole, a heel, a strap unsewn. he sets the boot on the last and reads it like a hand, and tells you (without unkindness) what kind of walking you have been doing, and whether you mean to keep at it.
the boot painted on the sign is left-footed. no one has ever asked him why, and he has never explained. some afternoons he stands in the doorway and watches the street pass at the ankle.
field-note: the bench inside is cleaner than the floor. the floor accepts the dust the bench refuses.footstep · tailor · bookbinder · road · walker