the skeletons in her closet / are in the form / of these old paintbrushes/ which she keeps / tucked away / out of sight and / out of mind. she keeps them / in the furthest corner of her mind / as if she were / a child hiding her / secrets / under the bed. her old paintbrushes / will sit here / indefinitely; she knows / exactly where they are / and exactly what memories / they hold but / will never / gaze upon them / because / to see them / is to relive it / all again
and she barely survived the first time.
