Things I’ve Found In My Sneakers Left On The Porch All Night

Most times, empty
but the wind, the neighbor’s wandering
toddler, my son’s cat, other mysterious
visitors sometimes leave messages
tucked into my shoe
a ladybug or a leaf
a pebble, a frog, some rain
the occasional spider
hot pink geranium petal
tiny crabapple from the next yard
once a missing sock, retrieved from
who knows where by your cat.
Whatever is found, startling
or sweet or nothing at all
I ponder on my morning walk
sleepy attempt to decipher
little mysteries. Do they
mean to tell me what might
happen in the day ahead or
what I missed the night I slept through
or something else I can’t
translate quite yet?