A few hours ago I walked barefoot across a local park

As the grass was still damp from the morning dew

It was a pleasant experience

I have always walked barefoot

When the conditions were right

This habit dates back many years

As frequently I was in the company

Of a Polish girl named Zuzanna

We often visited cinemas without footwear

And were never asked to wear shoes

As those were far more laid back times

Nobody really gave a fuck about anything

Occasionally because of the selfish behaviours

Of a smokers our feet received nasty burns

I still retain some of the scars even to this day

But I am happy in the knowledge

That these creatures died before their time

I am not bitter but I am ashamed of myself

As I have seen fit to include these lines

When I was nothing but a lad of twelve

My parents took me to the Isle of Wight

Ventnor to be exact and it was here

That I discovered a few of Karl Marx’s unpublished poems

Behind a fireplace in our small hotel

It was an amazing discovery

And I passed these off

As my own for many years

But when I eventually revealed my theft

I was not believed and these poems

Are still attributed to me

Which I find ridiculous

In a way as a poet I feel guilty

And that is why that I still tend to walk around barefoot

Zuzanna is now married to a leading Polish politician

And judging from recent photographs

She no longer walks around without shoes