Someone Else’s Shoes

by Scott Waters

I woke up this morning determined to be a different person. Grow some hair, lose the hat, gain fift y pounds, walk like a man instead of a duck. My first steps out the door were successful, as the next-door neighbor failed to recognize me and asked if he could help with anything. Old Me would have simpered and shuffled, but I hopped into my blue Subaru and drove off, leaving the neighbor with a hanging jaw and a nose full of exhaust. Later, at work, I walked into the boss’s office and told her she had been replaced—by me. She didn’t ask any questions as she gathered her papers and a few framed photos into her bag. I spent the rest of the day with my feet up on my new mahogany desk, reading a trashy romance novel I found in the standing cabinet. That evening, over dinner, my wife and the kids looked at me strangely. Finally, my son asked me to pass the salt. This I did, though unclear whether anyone else would do the same in my shoes.

Scott Waters lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and son. He graduated with a master’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University. Scott  has published previously in Chiron Review, Third Wednesday, Main Street Rag, The Pacific Review, Loch Raven Review, and many other journals. Scott ’s second chapbook, Train of Thought, was published in 2025 by Kelsay Books, and his poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.