as the castle crumbles

Paint me in the darkness

Shroud me in it

Inky charcoal lines

Swirling grey cheekbones

I want watermelon seed freckles

Smattering a rigid ribcage

Stardust glimmering, captivated by its own reflection

And when the ash falls against my cheeks

Softer than a dove’s feathers, darker than a raven’s back

Etch that into the canvas too

Ringlets of smoke staining silk

Confetti falling from the sky, cracked beaks and decayed rinds

Carve graphite into blades

And bleed the darkness dry