Cotton rag 300lb hot press

hand-dyed hand spun merino

Unravels in mushy loops

spilling stencils, tumbling rubber stamps

thai constellations and white princesses

Spurt in emerald clots

willow charcoal and pale stumps

pencils, pencils, pencils all rinse away

rip off this last bandage

a torrent of purple prose gushes out

soaking my Chuck Taylors

ruining my ironic tee

slice deep the dead and dying

Scrape off the necrotic never will be what I thought I would be

down to the quick

down to this dehiscing

red hole raw

my hungry edges

debriding with saline salty as tears

before a fresh wad of distraction

I wonder what I will do when I am not trying so hard to be happy