there's a point when the edges of a long nurtured body suddenly get blown away and all the pieces of the whole fall apart. things explode and implode. the world glitters its new scales. then a knife cuts through to the heart of the body. the pain blunts the reason. but the scars soon heal, and new scales, stronger and shinier, grow back. until the next cycle. and the next. and the next. the scars are plentiful, but callous and beautiful. the disfigurement reflects the forces of love and life.
