Pinky Toe

Hark, wee pinky toe
Unnoticed, tiny, deformed
What is your purpose?
-author unknown

The pinky toe is the little toe on the outer edge of the foot. Also know as a little piggy it is the one that went " wee, wee, wee, all the way home." This little toe consist of three bones called phalanges. The bone with the nail on it is called the distal phalange, the bone connected to the metatarsus (long bones making up the sole of the foot) is called the proximal phalange, while the bone connected to the proximal and distal phalange is ingeniously called the middle phalange.

Now, there are a lot of things that can happen to the pinky toe when cramming it into a shoe. It can develop corns, calluses, blisters, or become crooked (known as hammer toe). The nail can also develop problems becoming ingrown or infected with a fungus. Then there is the painful condition known as a bunionette or tailors bunion first noticed on tailors centuries ago. It is said that the painful bump that sometimes appeared on their pinky toes was caused by those toes being pressed into the ground as the worked sitting cross-legged.

Although you may develop anyone of these toe problems in your lifetime, you are more likely to do damage to your toe while walking barefoot. This damage is usually caused by spraining your interphalangal joint or, as it is more commonly known, stubbing your toe. I managed to do this yesterday afternoon when I banged my toe into the leg of my coffee table. Today my right pinky toe is very swollen, a beautiful shade of royal purple, and tender.

This week is definitely not starting well for me.

i get banged up a lot,
like a pinky toe
on coffee table legs, and
rocks buried in the snow
you should leave your jacket outside,
inside's too warm
it's just a thought;
you'll wear what you've always worn

i get banged up (oh)
i get banged up (oh)

i get banged up a lot,
like a pinky toe
on escalator steps and
welcome mats that say hello
-Lyics from Pinky Toe by A Weather