walking through this castle of cards, i

cannot help but hold my breath—lest this delicate

show of patience and perfectionism falls to die

and perish by the weight of my silhouette.

-

beyond the shadows of ashes, i cannot see

where hope and cleanliness will go to wait

for me and us and you, so quietly and silently

let us study the metaphoric eight.

-

so play us a dirge, pretty violin girl—

-

we sought for angel’s wings, but i cannot

rest with iron bars in my spine suffering for

just a bit of oxygen, the thing which i forgot

to remember upon the earthen shore.

-

so teach me of existence, beautiful one—

-

the strings erupted with life in their songs, and i

cried with the painful breath that followed in

its bittersweet lesson of independence and i

will not be afraid any longer to dare to win.

-

the cards fall beautifully with the flutter of raven wings.