Litmus

the colors arrive. planets anxious to assume their orbit. around pale suns. the needle draws its art. in scars along her veins. subtle detours. attempt to avoid the monsters. though they are the destination.

uncertainty is measure enough. as she looks back to determine where it began.

an empty box her only possession. everything inside of it. choice merely a consequence of why.

footsteps come and go. the lick of the wind their only witness. wormholes open and close. which side we're on irrelevant. we're always too far away. anchors adrift in the ocean. always too close. rowboats swallowed by the waves.

the chemicals are reactive. the lye on her tongue attests. the science is plain. uncertainty becomes us.

patiently she waits. on missing dominoes. for the colors to change.