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  =====>                      VacHaus provisionals                      <===== 
    / /                   a TNtD (Try Not to Die) drop                   \\    

                                 A Poetry tDrop

                                  by Wetdryvac
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On The After-Ground
May 20, 1994

I scavenged as they fell
tread ground before and after the ravens
watched them pitch forward
blackened gazes, hollowed eyes
stepped in their wake
took their watches, ate their dead
gathered their shoes into neat piles
and burned them with the naked sun
banners of smoke streaming up
towards heaven in a grasp of desiccated rubber
fingers paled darker than the sun
holding embittered acid taste  �� of memory
those who walked with these shoes

I counted piles of glazed remains
opened and closed their windows and doors
long after the hinges had rusted  ��
fallen off
listened to their pale green shutters
slap-slapping deeper into the hollows of their houses
and befriended their cats

I watched them land along ago
vacant sounds like walking
like heads hitting dry stone

I counted long after they were dry
how many fingers pointed up, and how many down
to think these beasts once thought the vacuum of space
to be a heaven  �� so I counted their hands

their cats watch me now
keep me warm when the wind cuts at dusk
follow me when I open their tins of packaged life
counting this many tins tossed into the dust
each livening it ��s own little storm

and I count the seconds  ��
each pile of dust I sprinkle lasts
listen to it whisper under doors
under downward pointed hands
into eyes and ears  �� of faces almost gone
while the hands turn and dials glow
on a thousand watches I have taken
reflecting me and the sun

I have what once they were
thousands upon thousands of hands counting down
pointing in a myriad random directions  ��
for the ravens took their fill long ago
of gore and shine

I scan the dials
waiting  ��
for dusk
before I move to scavenge on 


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    With thanks to the good folks at Hackers.Town for answering the very
    n00best of questions, with the following people politely [REDACTED].
    May your time go in a manner you consent to.
    
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
    
    IRC [REDACTED]
    Poetry, Short Form, With Contact https://writing.exchange/@wetdryvac
    Poetry, Long Form, With Contact https://landofkittens.social/Wetdryvac
    Web https://www.wetdryvac.net
    KoFi https://ko-fi.com/wetdryvac
    Links https://linktr.ee/wetdryvac
    MATRIX [REDACTED]
    BBS [REDACTED]
    Primary mastodon residence, With Contact https://hackers.town/@Wetdryvac
    All the other coms access points [REDACTED]

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