scritchscratchscritch

 

 

'neath tapered, glowering roofs 

three of four leave Death's warrants unsign'd,

& busily carve impossible flowers

& leap like startled kittens at the doorknob's rattling

the spiders could tell you, 

because they know

snip

snap

snip 

 

 

he laps his tiny claws free of gore,

his Mistress a provider even now,

& That Man's slight touch upon the outer wall

cues up a howl to blister a banshee's reputation

the cat will tell you,

because he knows

meowrrrllll

MEOWRRRLLL

MEOWRRRLLLLLLL

 

 

Erzebet howleth: NOOO!!! I'M TOO BEAUTIFUL TO DIIEE!!!!

into the menace of a narrow gulping blackness

& fingerpaints a tawdry Pollock (sanguinary on brick canvas)

while outside bright maidens sing a Te Deum laudamus

 

the rats can hear her,

so they should know

 

scritch

scratch

scritch

 

 

our Aunties Clo, La-La & Attie

smirked down at us in our cradles because

the scratchy, ill-fitting layettes gifted us

were crafted in porous stitching & labeled 'Made with Time' 

 

the Sisters could tell us,

but we'll never know

 

tick

tock

tick...

 

 DB/9.2022