I am an animal. Deep down in the drum
of my heart I claw through forest mulch and
flesh. Rhythm dragging hooves counter-
beat the earth’s time. Knotted leather drags the
Celtic warrior kicking into me. Her
spear scrapes my shoulder. I bleed.
I snarl. Her spear is mine and there are
hoofbeats, drums shoving blood reverberating
in my veins. And now there is instinct.
I must kill. I must tear my way
to the surface of a dry plain rolling
an ocean of thick wheat, chaos,
truth-sweat. A scream splits my throat and across
time, separated by centuries, a thin fold of halfway air,
Boudicca, snarling red-haired wolf sinks teeth
into my heart, yellow fangs into the world
around me. Drag me screaming. I am an
animal. This world is mine.