a blip on the meninges
sends her into dark
spinal frenzy
she can hardly twist
to look over
the shoulder
of this road
where bluffs erode
into a cacophonous sea
so many birds
lift in unison
caw as they pass
swoop through
the deafening spray
she determines the ligaments
where inflammation
could mean growth
holds tight to the perverse
possibility that stiffness
might serve her better
than accommodation has
might help her build
fire walls to guard
against the tides
slammed against
the edges of this land
