A golden bird begins its descent toward a crowd gathered to partake in the spectacle of the feast;
before them the priest,
his golden blade,
so high it waves,
ready to strike
the bird mid-
flight.
Not this time!
the priest grants respite
to the bird,
and the people gasp
and flinch
and look around
unsure,
and the priest reveals his true face
is blank
like the cave they’d once explored,
finding nothing;
nothing more
than cold rocks
and empty
space.
