The wolf at the door.

There was a wolf at the door. His eyes were skillful, with the power to ease and yet abiding to the laws of evil. His ears married to the sound of judgment, marked by the early word that said nothing in particular. His teeth argued among themselves, never in agreement and seldom saw the light of honesty. Announcing their arrival with a howl. The howl was of a certain frequency that leaves you wanting. Then a feeble growl, faint to the touch and I did not dare touch it. The heat of his breath at my feet, isolating my toes from one another. It slowly rises up to the tip of my mouth, tasting the bending of the summit. There are no birds here.

‘’ I’ve come for the gift? ’Growled the wolf.

In my recollection there was no gift. There was nothing tangible from the vantage point of where I had been in the country of my heart. Where houses are built from the lumbering of crude glimpses.

‘’Are you going to invite me in?’’ He said while flaunting his wet nose.

Which dripped like rain onto the floor.

In hesitation and with mysterious meaning I said nothing and he walked in anyway. Walking between two flashes, between intelligence and repugnance, between Gods and animals, between himself and other.

His fur was black with little bits of grey dotted around his body. Clearly aged by quick tempered imaginings.

He placed himself upon the sofa in a vain pose, framing himself within the boundaries of the adjacent silhouettes. Every now and then he would show his teeth twinned with a grunt and a stare as if sharpened with reward of mercy.

‘’Now, I have come for the gift. It is most important that I obtain this item. It is of great significance! Like a mermaids fin or stars pointing at shadows. I see no shadows here, not of any value anyway. You see my appetites are most exquisite and mostly tempered with emeralds washed up upon a beach.’’

‘’I have nothing of value.’’

The wolf rises to his feet, his tail swaying back and forth completely in motion with less valiant promises.

‘’Well we have a problem. I am feeling forbearing so I will offer you a deal... Have the gift by the end of the week, not a moment after…’’

His ears jerked and he was gone.

Flowers wilted that stood on the windowsill. I implore the possession. There were entire nights with entire armies parading the icon of the cure. Stuck within the margins of blue eyed vampires, ripened by invites from witches. The earth spread out, full of youthful language. Everyone was so old no one spoke at all. I sink to the bottom of the second sight of a pool.

The week went by and the wolf was at the door with wreaths of corn, smelling of fertile aspirations.

‘’It has arrived. Not a moment after…I hope you have the gift?’’

The wild flock leaps into the air. I almost laughed but did not have the peace within me.

‘’ I have nothing to give you…’’

‘’So then…’’ the wolf snarled lit by the flame of the day…’’I will have to punish you. A punishment so nauseating it will tear you open bit by bit, suckling at your nipples until they fall off.’’

The wolf positioned himself in the middle of the room, uncomfortable with something true, turns to me and says…

‘’ I am going to rip your face off and replace it with mine. You will have the face of a wolf’’

He was a wolf of his word. My senses heightened. I let out a beastly howl. Charmed by the power.

‘’Now I have a job for you…Go to this address and knock on the door and ask for the gift’’

And so I did.

I knocked and was greeted by a man who shouted to his wife…

‘’Honey, there is a wolf at the door.’’