Scholars and Thieves

the bloated parasite falls off the skin. dense with the blood form a lifetime of choices. the ladder shakes as she approaches the terrace. she assumed the window would be open. a pivotal mistake.

knots in the map. Bend her path. broken bulbs in heavy lamps. she listens carefully for the colors, but white is all that's left.

the marker fades are she continues to trace. so many outlines without a middle. every moment. in papier mache. sticky, wet and soft with sunken faces.

determined to set. even if that means these voids are permanent.