apologies pulse in my throat
little rat hearts
pumping adrenaline
attempting to revive remaining flesh
i feel the claws searching for purchase
for escape
i swallow them down forcefully
and keep them for myself
as
im the one who uses them
intimate secretaries raise their hands
and swallow the keys
amid the smoke
the secrets of the linear timeline
cause and effect
lost forever to the fires
that once defended the castle
and now
facilitate the siege
the stagnation of remainder





















