Answer
|
When
|
she
|
fell,
|
she
|
fell
|
apart.
|
Cracked
|
her
|
bones
|
on
|
the
|
pavement
|
she
|
once
|
decorated
|
as
|
a
|
child
|
with
|
sidewalk
|
chalk
|
When
|
she
|
crashed,
|
her
|
clothes
|
disintegrated
|
and
|
blew
|
away
|
with
|
the
|
winds
|
that
|
took
|
all
|
of
|
her
|
fair
|
weather
|
friends
|
When
|
she
|
looked
|
|
Answer
|
around,
|
her
|
skin
|
was
|
spattered
|
with
|
ink
|
forming
|
the
|
words
|
of
|
a
|
1000
|
voices
|
Echoes
|
she
|
heard
|
even
|
in
|
her
|
sleep:
|
"Whatever
|
you
|
say,
|
it
|
is
|
not
|
right."
|
"Whatever
|
you
|
do,
|
it
|
is
|
not
|
enough."
|
"Your
|
kindness
|
is
|
fake."
|
"Your
|
pain
|
is
|
manipulative."
|
|
Answer
|
When
|
she
|
lay
|
there
|
on
|
the
|
ground,
|
She
|
dreamed
|
of
|
time
|
machines
|
and
|
revenge
|
and
|
a
|
love
|
that
|
was
|
really
|
something,
|
Not
|
just
|
the
|
idea
|
of
|
something.
|
When
|
she
|
finally
|
rose,
|
she
|
rose
|
slowly
|
Avoiding
|
old
|
haunts
|
and
|
sidestepping
|
shiny
|
pennies
|
Wary
|
of
|
|
Answer
|
phone
|
calls
|
and
|
promises,
|
Charmers,
|
dandies
|
and
|
get
|
love
|
quick
|
schemes
|
When
|
she
|
stood,
|
she
|
stood
|
with
|
a
|
desolate
|
knowingness
|
Waded
|
out
|
into
|
the
|
dark,
|
wild
|
ocean
|
up
|
to
|
her
|
neck
|
Bathed
|
in
|
her
|
brokenness
|
Said
|
a
|
prayer
|
of
|
gratitude
|
for
|
each
|
chink
|
|
Answer
|
in
|
the
|
armor
|
she
|
never
|
knew
|
she
|
needed
|
Standing
|
broad
|
shouldered
|
next
|
to
|
her
|
was
|
a
|
love
|
that
|
was
|
really
|
something,
|
not
|
just
|
the
|
idea
|
of
|
something.
|
When
|
she
|
turned
|
to
|
go
|
home,
|
She
|
heard
|
the
|
echoes
|
of
|
new
|
words
|
"May
|
your
|
heart
|
|
Answer
|
remain
|
breakable
|
But
|
never
|
by
|
the
|
same
|
hand
|
twice"
|
And
|
even
|
louder:
|
"without
|
your
|
past,
|
you
|
could
|
never
|
have
|
arrived-
|
so
|
wondrously
|
and
|
brutally,
|
By
|
design
|
or
|
some
|
violent,
|
exquisite
|
happenstance
|
...here."
|
And
|
in
|
the
|
death
|
of
|
her
|
reputation,
|
She
|
felt
|
truly
|
alive.
|
|