before me lies me all vast and shapeless I’ve been torn up

in the valley its all dark and then there’s

a piece of me, confused

not far from here the sounds of nameless birds entered my ear

mocking this suffering, soul

flock to me they said so I flocked with the rest of them

I failed to look at the feather I bore and what a mistake that was

so I shed the feathers and then a whole layer of skin

there was a day someone started talking about me and never stopped

the skin fire started at my ears and never stopped

all its remains became an exoskeleton draped over a skull and a scapula and an elbow

so I asked the valley carry me, cupped hands please, wait now I’m realizing these

are my hands. I carry me. I’m valley

new hands, soft hands. activated hands, the air is jello hands, the floor is lava

hands

the only way out is me hands, reaching hands,

so dark you can’t see your own hands, I have to trust these hands

hands

hands