set wilting flowers with a bright smile
sketch hearts on curling paper scraps for him and
steal carved needles by dark.

“Stay away from him –
He pulls strings with no puppets at the end.”

the other nurses wore white on white
like the ceilings and floors,
screams and sharp chokes.
hard cuts on soft hands,
straight lines piercing bones.

the sky is a violet
whispering,
red and aching
scattered leaves and broken twigs
bruises upon lip-stained skin.

trace braille for the songs in his mind
rub charcoal on your cheeks
the hollows of your eyes –

he trips on wires,
a dead noise.
a rope sunk with the ghost of his last voice. ©