He tripped by chance the hidden wires of her anxiety.

The aeroplane shook hard, and the calm blue announcement came that the oxygen masks would be dropping, but when they dropped they were plaster death masks, each slung on a calm clear noose.

A calm noose of airpipe.

in pursuit of mythic sustenance

her telescopic spear

stabbing the hot hearts of

the wildebeest whales

drenched, dead reckoning

murder. murder and loss.

Adam realised late in the day that what felt like a thorn in his side was only the hatching open of his incubated rib.