Westward

The signs of a psychopath are static yet dependable: charming demeanor, arrogance, lack of empathy, selfish, impulsive. But nothing ever happened: This is in your head. Manifest Destiny is an alluring concept based upon tyranny, justified by Christianity. Thump! A Cedar Waxwing flies hard into an anonymous glass door. The bird appears stunted, flapping on the patio floor then pushes into the sky to become a coal black fleck against the spectre of the sun. I put on my bordeaux cape and move deeper into the thick forest—delicate hands chafed. Rage arrives solo. The spring air: randy, exploited, fickle.