I knew you from another time, another country,
watched you flicker between the shrill squeals of children's voices,
trace crystal on reflective faces.

Long forgotten, you followed me here
to dance your brittle death over my body's contours,
startling me into submissive white.


My skin shudders.


Your cold hands surprise me,
long bones flecked with almost-snow
shrivel my seed to a dry husk,
my fruit to rotten pulp.


You are alien here.


Like a thief you fling back my golden quilt,
steal the colour from my cheeks,
reduce my indigenous offspring to a spineless slaver
of translucent gel,
terrified milk running to ground.


After of a night of white terror you sigh over me,
roll your eyes over my corpse
leaving the whole withered,
impartial to my wailing
on account of your ungovernable nature.




copyright © Caroline Grace 2012