The shovel is in the same place I always leave it
Numbly I think to myself of the caked grime that’ll require a shower
as I perform a stand up routine for the nth time
Twigs crack under my boots

How often do I come here?

The number is unclear
and dirt pile grows

A burning cold settles over me like fog

I dig a little faster

I always have to end up in these situations, don't I?

It’s shallow, barely enough to work,
but then again they all are
“Lift with your knees, not your back”
I’ll have to thank whoever told me that later
A resounding grunt echoes throughout,
and I finish the job
The surrounding ground is ridden with raised mounds

How many again?

One… two… three… four…
Too many others I don’t have the time to count

I do, I just don't want to
Not after last time

Turning on my heel, I walk away
leaving the bodies I bury to rot at the crevices of my mind