We walked on high curved ceilings
the depths cracking moonstone plaster
a fireplace of cluttered alphabet letters
the metallic teardrops of ember tips.

Roaring sanctuaries between airtight rooms
an octagon of open sky
the courtyard's cup surrounded by waxed wood
the eye's depth of oiled hinges.

Towering branches bend
into flowering archways.
Shells sink like fingernails
in the mud beneath dark lake waters
and exploded buds.

You pull the light on a leash
I gather its fractal bulk
into the veins of my arms.