Shoes That Fit (poem-echo ft Asuka Hotaru)
A poem-echo on finding a love that mirrors who you are
This poem is an echo of the 3rd reflection on Love: Finding a Love That Mirrors You
Where the text speaks of finding a love that mirrors who we are,
this poem walks that truth in the body —
through what fits, what hurts,
and what we stop pretending is comfortable.
AsukaHotaru doesn’t bring a lesson.
Just a mirror.
Shoes That Fit
Buy shoes that fit your feet.
I tried on love like borrowed shoes…
pretty, polished, wrong.
Too tight at the toes,
too loose in the heel.
I learned how to smile anyway.
How to nod.
How to say I’m fine
while my name got smaller.
Some loves ask for a trade.
Give me your hunger,
your real wants,
and I’ll call it peace.
Give me your voice,
and I’ll keep you.
But my body kept telling the truth
in small, stubborn ways.
Laces that wouldn’t stay tied.
Heels that blistered.
A walk that turned into a limp.
So I stopped.
Right there.
In the doorway.
I looked down at my own feet
and finally acted like they mattered.
A love that fits
doesn’t ask me to fold myself
into someone else’s shape.
It lets me stand straight.
It lets me rest.
It lets my laughter sound like mine.
It doesn’t make me earn my breath.
It’s simple, almost quiet.
Two pairs of shoes by the door,
both scuffed,
both chosen.
And a mirror that doesn’t punish.
Just shows.
I come closer,
not to change my face,
but to recognize it…
my own image.
Then I walk out
in what fits me.
No limping.
No shrinking.
Just steady steps,
and the soft relief
of not betraying myself
to be held.
About the Author
AsukaHotaru’s page is dedicated to love in its tenderest, most honest forms — soft heartbreaks, slow kisses, and stories that linger like rain.
Her writing doesn’t rush to tidy love into neat definitions; it lets affection arrive like a shy guest and stay like an old secret. She crafts poems and essays that feel lived-in, grounded in lived experience, and attentive to the quiet, almost imperceptible moments that define connection and self-recognition.
Her work explores intimacy with warmth, restraint, and emotional precision, inviting readers to slow down, feel deeply, and notice the things they might otherwise overlook.
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With clarity,
The Mirror Room
Odel A.
Man, “AsukaHotaru doesn’t bring a lesson. Just a mirror.” made my throat go tight. I’m grateful you made room for me in your bucket and didn’t turn it into a performance. You handled my words with steady hands, like you trusted them. That kind of care sticks. I’m walking around a little softer after reading your framing of it. Yeah, I’m keeping that. Thank you for being here with me, Odel, as always.
I love this, Asuka! And I am overjoyed that you are unwilling to settle for a love which would reduce your hunger to peace.
As always, your intelligence shines through every dusty word: no spit; just splendor! Compromise and the unwillingness to compromise are things you know all too well. This poem has apprenticed with Cinderella, and wisely rejected her teachings as too uppity. It is better to sweep the fireplace, but love one's self.