here before.  But I wasn’t in

this body.  Back when i skinned

my knees and got welts the size

of softballs from mosquitos.

i still get welts from mosquitos.

but they don’t feel the same.  This

hair isn’t mine and whose

dress is this?

You brought me here, i remember.

Hiked 12 miles around

the blue ridge.  We saw bears

here and 8-point bucks there.

You told me to keep moving but I

wanted to die there, remember?

We ate pumpkin butter while our

toes dangled thousands of feet

above the valley and i told you

i left my bike down there from my past

life.  But this time when

I skinned my knees, I didn’t feel

the hot from the blood or smell

the copper of pennies.