petals for armor

come in, come in, whatever you are

this is the last youthful winter, pure and protected by failing sanity. specks of angelhood flicker in her eyes. isn’t it time she outgrew that?

frozen fingers close around your wrist, the smell of bluebells haunt you under the shimmering moonlight. she’s nearly mythic now as she dances along the cracks in the ice.

how long will she wait for the chill to gnaw her holy?

there’s a wrongness with the way snow falls around her. you felt it coming at the same time, twins on stage and off. timid rabbit frozen in a lake of prophecy; thrust into the last winter as neither saint nor angel.

won’t the moon bless you for this unwavering faith? oh, goddess of dreams, satiate this gnawing hunger that grows.

at nightfall, your silent steps roam the frostbitten forest for a companion, a cold hand to wrap around yours. petals for armor won’t protect against bonechilling hysteria. perfect footprints left in the snow; your reflection is holier than the bones you carry.

snow picks up, aching lovesongs reach the gentle ears of artemis.