dispassionate
yet fundamental ciphers;
too old to be
cherished, and yet
still considered treasures;
imperatively given
by dead ends
to unknown futures;
helplessly passed, in fact,
from one breath
to the next;
holders of the keys
to these perilous
identities;
so charged full of
significance that they
themselves mean nothing;
hollow yet impervious
as gem-encrusted
coffins, but
comforting to recognize
as stillness
in the morning?
