thornbranches crosshatch the windowpane bitter mouthfulls wide eyes open what blue sky do you stare at what behind your eyes stares back at me secret land behind the mirror lies the weight of your embrace in my sleep caught in an upturned hourglass drowning beneath grains of sand pelted with shardsharp cottonhead dolleyed candykisses teeth clicking at my neck fingers laced crone-stooped tree bent to the wind tearstreaked icechip glistening face huddle of giggling girls distain stained voice screeches above the wind it's not that cold slash of that hysterical smile