"plush and sleek brush her vacuous skin, the rain trickling down. transparent tributaries that run to bleaching deltas. the knots splashing fragments to shards to splinters. the purr of the firmament, the gale of the ruffled blankets. his fingers dust her cheek, her neck, her shoulders. they observed the harsh unpigmented ceiling, softened by gossamer ecru. together they listened. listened to the nipping air. listened to the laden wood. listened to the mockingbird songs. listened to anything. listened to everything. together they just listened."

augustnineteenth.