he stood
at the edge
of polaris
listening
to the faintest
of sounds
then smiled sadly
let himself
slip off the edge
to plummet
like another
fallen star
himself

the witch
brayed
like a mule
with a toothache
inside her cave
loud enough
to rattle the bones
that hung
from stalactites
all around her
but no matter
how loudly
she screamed
the song forced itself
into her mind
into her prison
like nails
across the chalkboard
of ink black
that is her soul