Mary Quincemas

There were plenty of ways to go back there and I chose the footpath.
I knew that a man had just been shot in the neighboring town.
We were stopped by the Policia and some travelers.
They searched me, stripped me down, cleared me, handed me my things,
and told us to find a partner and form a line.
Each pair wrapped their arms around one another.
The old man with white hair spoke soft and clear:
“Leave your possessions on the ground here.
Your partner will be there to save you,
sometimes to be saved by you,
so hold his hand tightly,
and if you do die
you can then have
the feeling of
not being
alone.”

And with that, we walked into the woods along a barbed-wire fence.