thinning

[patchworkgirl]

so this is my black lace headdress
my open-casket viewing
my cremation and river-faced lament
for the layers i am losing

chance is paring me down
stripping paint, plumage, and pride
stealing away with each strand of grace
into ever-deepening black night

and what's left in the wake of quiet destruction
is this bare-headed girl wanting
for calm and strength of heart
to meet the world without protection