woke up in a pile of dead leaves
sun peeking in from canopies
an earthy odor dripping down from above
the dark master waits in the hollow trees.

he is divided among six trunks
he left his ears under a striped rock
i traveled out to meet him when i heard of my demise
all i can do now is watch my flesh rot.

and he calls to me
he wants me to play hide and seek.
he can't hear me but he smells me
and he feels every step that brings me closer to the river.

a fist on my chest,
a knee in my shoulders,
i know he is my ancient master
but i though that i was freed.
now i droop down like the slugs,
i take the jelly out of my eyes
and feed it to my children
i slice off callouses, layer by layer,
till i have a basket of raspberries.

i just want to slide my bare body
across the treetops in this jungle.

i keep eating my hair and coughing up muddy ice
i keep burning down teepees at night so that i can
see the souls of the screaming children
rise like red dust to the three witches.

last night the acid burned a hole through my cauldron
and when i saw what was on the other side,
i sat there, speechless, at the feet of what i had forgotten.
a ball of cotton, still aflame,
a purple spiral galaxy,
3 milligrams of safety
and an echo that escaped from me
every time i tried to pet it.