Arrears of Being

Tracing a ridge along the temple, a fingernail scrapes against salt with the dry rasp of bone on stone. Beneath the surface, fine capillaries bloom into pale blue patterns that map uncharted territories across the forehead. This spreading indigo web marks where the body begins to settle its debts, claiming every inch of skin as part of an unfolding ledger. As these jagged arcs deepen, a quiet stillness settles over the limbs, signaling a momentary truce between the self and the shifting weight of being.