September 2025 – Page 2 – elancharan gunasekaran

mists of day smothers the fire and from the ashes the faceless arise clawing at the hollow of their chest

obsidian beetles carry dead stars across gardens and into the heart of the bonfire

grimoires of old drift beneath grim waters torn pages bloom into kelp and ink slithers away as eels

autumn dawn winds grow in excitement and tree leaves catch fire

each blade forged sings its own funeral and the blacksmith learns the language of death

made of soft bone bugs death and grim orbit the carnal flame of a lantern she carries across the misty stream

bees hover in ecstasy over the smoke for the pollen is molten and the fire it drips is the alltruth in the garden of paradise

danger and treasure collide moth riders dive into hives of toxic rain to collect a few drops of soma

while the forest sleeps pilgrims kneel before faceless gods to shape urns of silence

on the coast where silence is worshipped and coral sharpened trees bloom faces instead of fruit