red gashes zig-zagging across her nose and brow
I connected the dots
while the world felt the initial shock

She scrutinized it in the mirror
filled it in with more red, then black
as we shared the news and cried
though he was long gone

And then, as these things go
the sharing turned to remembering
resolving,
though words were still tentative
paintbrushes poised
he laughed somewhere, delighted
as she adjusted her costume, bolt complete

Thus transformed
we gathered in dark places
and sang long into the cold night
to the very different stars