these knees are crying
red sticky tears
from bearing the brunt
of so many falls
rocks and dirt
beneath tender skin
becoming part of a scab
someday
that scab
will grow into a scar
and then
sleek whiteness
will be peppered
with even paler
tiny mountains
and valleys
ridges and bumps
hills
snow-covered hills
that tell the tale
of bloody congealing droplets