Sickly boys and churlish girls walk hand in hand.
Angry angels and busy saints scour the land.
The sweet smell of afternoon gin,
and the black earth folds her in.
Hands drop.
Their defiance entwines.
They march side by side
making desperate lines.
Look up!
See his family name
inscribed on the archway
in a rainbow of shame.
She fixes her mind on the one thing that's still,
but her thoughts spin around it so fast
and the beautiful blur holds her steady.
So steady.
His culpable dreams tell her more than they ought.
She hides away treasures the adjuster forgot.
Let's plug in the ocean to cover the din.
Let's plug in the ocean so the silence can't win.
There used to be stars here, she says,
so he turns out the light and holds her steady.
So steady.

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