BACK ALLEY 15

rules for scavenging

trust your fear of the dark even when it seems so gentle draped around (the outline of) someone you love. unless it's split open and gushing out on the pavement, a body stronger than yours is always a threat. boys grow a new row of teeth every hour after sundown. keep his image in your mind like a flashlight when you glance back at any tender face half-obscured; know it's hard to see their sins when the street lamps only catch on the corner of their mouths or their knuckles, unbruised and innocent. think of the warm lit side of a rock and the spineless gray crawlers underneath. think of what that means when the inside of your body is cool and dark and empty empty empty