by Janey Smith
1.
We try to walk in the snow without making footprints. We find a hand in the snow by the road. My brother gives me the hand. We walk in the snow very softly. On one side, I hold my brother's hand. On the other, I hold the hand we found in the snow. My brother's hand is colder than the hand we found in the snow. The hand we found in the snow feels like my hand when it is asleep.
2.
We find a piece of wood. We make different sounds by using different angles of the hand we found in the snow in hitting it. We make different sounds by hitting different parts of the wood. My brother says, "Can we go now?"
3.
We find a stone the size and weight of the hand we found in the snow. My brother gives me the stone. I let go of his hand. I crack my brother's head with the stone we found in the snow. I let go of the hand we found in the snow. I crack his head until it becomes a fine powder. Snow. I dispose of my brother's hand in the river. I plan to send small amounts of his body to my friends. I plan to not tell anybody what I did.
4.
I walk in the snow very softly. I hold the hand we found in the snow.
janey smith lives in san francisco, california. her book animals is published by plain wrap press.