these days the soul laid open 

salted stretched nailed to winter wood 

the wonder of it 

gutted

wolf-mask thin 

disfigured breath 

wolf spirit stalking its hooded kind

drummed spirits from scraped skin 

taunt 

the broken silence 

earth-stained speech

rising through the pain 

the baited trap springs 

smashes bone 

marrow drips across the snow 

a trail hunters find and follow

into the darkness 

the memory of paper