mermaid treason

"Whenever I’m asked why Southern writers particularly have a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it is because we are still able to recognize one." --Flannery O'Connor via

Cypress knees.

pages whose leaves i cut myself · no ALTAR
but the trace i LEAVE

they'll do "whatever it TAKES"
machine's final breakdown to AVERT

defense RESTS
splurging VOLTS

bombing & grand OPERA
waxen mug LENIN

toxic grin of the man of the dark TRIAD
grain by kiteslipt grain the tumbling SANDS

Eileen Tabios's collection of miniature books.