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