these days the soul laid open

is salted stretched 

and nailed 

to winter wood.

the wonder of it

gutted 

wolf-mask thin disfigured breath

wolf spirit

stalking its hooded kind

spirits drummed from scraped skin

taunt the broken silence 

earth-stained speech

rises 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