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contrasting scars youthful folly

slipping into the haze of earthly delights

drop the canon, hold up the bar

privileged ignorance

the velvet grip of excess

anaesthetized coping reflex

lizard against primate against the future

corners shaved in narrow slices

year by year, day by day, hour by hour

form follows behavior follows thought

blaze to bleak to bland

birth to death, to fight

settled night, settled breath

flames to embers to rot