Stichomancy Where I am at war, mouths were closed, obstructed in winter, read back to front. An oyster listening for threaded pearls: a man with a soft gray hat. I remember you. Not the real you, mouth closed, your gaze obstructed by winter, but back to front: a man with a soft gray hat, an oyster listening to the rush of the current for a perfect grain of sand. Obstructed by winter, war comes, a man with a soft gray hat. Close-mouthed, gaze like threaded pearls, I listen: an oyster, a perfect grain of sand. :: alison williams