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