consecutive

the seasons are changing

slight shifts in the wind

paint those windows shut

insulate the frames

prepare for the cold

buttoned up embedded with warmth

portraits hung delicately on the walls

familiar faces, talismans of heat

now, i’m

inking swans on my left arm

for resilience and grace

phoenixes on my right

for rebirth and strength

i won’t need the porcelain dolls

dancing around Taj Mahal