rain water sprinklers sweat nervous it's anxiety dear it's 16 flights of stairs it's grey kodak work pants it's slim wrists it's jutting out it's the lady in a skirted suit pearl blouse dark heels telling you to press the button "close door" it's looking up at lights it's a shift in TEMPLES. it's my headache in the shower. it's soap and burning.

water smeared fell on my hands, my japanese folder. the ink seeped into the skin on my hands. my palms, the joints in my fingers, my finger tips are all stained with the ink. bright red. red hands for the grey kid in sleeves and not jeans.

and my professor and she was sweet.