Smuggled in on a schoolgirl's cuff,
its brushed wings dusting
the cabinet edges - agate seals
and scarabs, a charlatan's scrying
crystal and the turquoise teeth
of an Aztec skull. Spinning
to kneel, she shrugs loose
her knapsack, scrabbling
for sketchbook and pen,
when suddenly her wrist blossoms,
takes flight, meets itself
in a ricochet of glare -
its hieroglyphs ghosting
into cartouched tombs.
For an instant, the mystery
of the living and the beauty of the dead
flutter in the glass; impulsive
lenses zoom too late!, too late!
as the soul of a doodling girl
vibrates to the sky-light's deep,
unpinnable blue.
this is so lovely. makes me want to paint it.
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