Aislinn and her brother
holed up by the river.
She says, “I feel funny,”
as he pours her another.
The wind shakes the ramparts;
the vinyl house flitters with ominous slithers.
It’s cold, but that’s not why she shivers.

Her head softly sways to the beat of the drum that is
smashing and ripping the walls of her lungs.
The garter emerges with ravenous fervour -
sinks its teeth into the flesh of her thigh, as she hums
a lullaby.

A blaze erupts to the left - there’s a flash in his eyes -
and she closes hers tight,
for she knows that tonight
that what’s left of the white -
will be lost.
There is no coming back from the dusk, after this.

Stooped by the water she scrubs the stained satin -
all frantically achingly -
but her efforts are lost amongst rust-coloured memories.
All the limbs of the lamb have been severed sadistically
and he’s tossing them into the fire.

There is no use in running from it;
the web has been spun
and sewn into the veins that bind
each waif-like wrist.
She knows now what she must do;
so she snatches the torn torso,
and with lamb tucked to *****
leaps longingly into the blistering bright.

It feeds on the tenderness – like a leech in her heart.
And she closes her eyes,
for she knows that last night,
what was left of the light
was lost.
It will be the last night,
but there is no coming back from the dusk, after that.