she runs and she hides,

Hither and thither in her maze,

Finding shelter in the ribs of the land

With darting eyes and breath

But a steady heartbeat.

She loses time,

Swirling and churning in her side,

Speaking only in the hush of the dunes

With mocking tones and smiles

But a steady pummelling.

She's getting tireder,

Over and over, she starts up again

Hiding behind words that taste grey in her mouth

With shudders in heart and limbs

And burning in teeth.

She's gone for us to find,

Swallowed and hollowed by her game,

Surviving and still passing for human on the outside,

With barely a remaining trace:

Inside she is chalk dust.