Blooded early,     alone,     but it's a cinch:     just peeling skin on spattered rock to a pooling cry     gleaning god & grief with sharpened ease     fated late to survive (then thrive) with nowhere to hide...     a tear-filled alkahest  taking liminal shade 'neath a cool palisade     always teaching death with a bug-eyed splat or chipping a cough from...