A friend drew me aside one day
And, in me did confide
Of problems with a wayward Son
Such as he could scarce abide
I listened while he told me
All, the things his Son would do
And how he was getting desperate
For he’d never worn such shoes
In my pride, I told him flatly
I know what I would do
(And, I laid it out in line and verse)
If I were in his shoes
It seemed to me, so simple
It was, oh so very clear
But, alas, his Son was not my own
Not one that I held dear
Looking back I see the error
In the sad advice I gave
But, I learned a timely lesson
About how good friends should behave
It all seemed, somehow, different
When the chickens came home to roost
The proper thing was more readily seen
While feigning to wear his shoes
These days I simply listen
If, in me, a friend confides
About things I have never known
And try to keep my thoughts inside
One who’s certain what he would do
In someone else’s shoes
Has, likely, never worn those shoes
And never supposes too
Written by C.R. Clark-12/25/2007
C R Clark
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-other-man-s-shoes/
