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so this is the edge
the air hangs vertiginous
and you hang
appalled
muscles aching after the long climb
to relax into sleep
but here there are only the gray rocks
even the dust swept away
and the long fall into nothingness
this is the end

silence hangs
the leaf suspended in its lightness
it will fall if you so much as breathe
and too low to hear
the wind begins
in the distance
softly it speaks
the tones oddly smooth and even
the wind is too tired to howl

it is not strong enough to threaten you
only to frighten
and with its soft tongue
scoops out what is left of your thoughts
you feel strangely chilled
not quite cold
merely hollow
you feel the wind entering at your neck
at your fingertips
and spinning slowly inside
you can see the specks of dust whirling
mingling with blood and bone and breath
insubstantial

you look out over the edge
beyond the wall of impossibility
the energy barrier that is one step
and see the world
familiar and absurd
they are solid
the light dances off of them
and glows in the infrared
(you are transparent now)
you fear their tapered fingers
careless and arbitrarily strong
voices and mannerisms abrading
in the plain process of being themselves
but you will tear
flutter
dissolve into nothingness

you must avoid them before they can hurt you
yet you watch
mesmerized
too fragile to move
as they move, swirl, repeat
move, swirl, repeat
the dances of pursuit and of longing
simple phrases of discontent
the simple jabs of friendship
knots of words concealing hidden weapons
testing the cords that connect
move, swirl, repeat
until you are more ill than numb

blink
and it passes
this was the world you left

anetionu
was the creation of the world
the word empty now
and harmless

but apply the right transformation
invert
transpose
words into a black mirror
and then you are
moving transparent lips
with the voice of the wind
low and persistent

close your eyes
one step

then
one word
and it is all gone
-----------------------
shudder in the air

and falling