spider

she walks with spiders,
marching along baseboard cracks they hide their webs
in the back of her mind, the
cavity behind her throat
they bind her voice in silk
she walks in step
two by eight she knows
how they feed at night she doesn't know
how to live here,
doesn't know secrets
how to starve with class, she pretends she isn't brittle
i pretend she lives there now
she doesn't know me
doesn't know how to smile my name
peeking through the windows of her eyes,
gaps in teeth
how they shiver every day
how they shiver
all the time
how they shiver when she's cold
she's always cold,
my fingers freeze around her wrists
my palms pressed to bones stuck like bear traps
she walks with
legs like spiders,
spindles creaking across floorboards in
hush tones
carpet tacks she steps around
navigating webs she won't be caught
stuck
no
she walks with them
knows their secret goose steps
she marches with class
shedding skins
disappearing
two by eight she knows
how they feed