Dead Skin

simple stories wrench away from us. distant storms find their landfall.

it wasn't as if we had a map. we were just running in any direction.

 his sober came and went. much more quickly than he expected.

 the clouds hardly noticed her. the rough outline. the crude colors. her evolution deconstructed.

 we were arrogant. we named names. our simple locks easily coming undone.

we negotiated. or tried to. with the stubborn corners. we spent the angles like currency. until we were bankrupt.

 the streets groaned. as hungry as ever. big dogs on short leashes.

 she suffered the world in outlines and smudges.

 the road narrowed.

 she was counting entry wounds. a diligent student of all things broken.