A circle of lurid growths

My boots on crunching leaves

Hesitation, acceptance

A step into mycelian jaws

A pause, a hope

Erasure is easier when it’s incidental

No shimmer, no blinding light

The world is unchanged.

***

People, families, strangers

Filmy wings erupting from shoulders, drifting in the breeze

Anchored by spines

A weary mother’s drooping

A sullen teenager’s black clothes belied by her vibrant self

Some too blinding to examine

Endless varieties

Lacy, threadbare, intact and tattered

Glowing and insubstantial

***

Handsome, in a bland way

Confidential leans and simple smiles

The shimmer arrives

First unfulfilled, now unlooked for

A dark room

Shredded gauze trampled and stacked into the corners

Downy residue on his hands

Between his teeth

Be bold, be bold, but not too bold

Return.

He smiles on, proud of his grotesque confession.

Image: Hannah Rodriguez