black and blue woman

A body,
swathed in flannels,
hoists itself
upon rickety bones.
Palms flexed
and forearms shaking
from the weight.
Blue and purple
veins
protrude
from crumpled
tissue-paper
skin. Groans.
Creaking bones.
The body trembles
and twists
and breaks
its tensed form.
Rump first,
legs swing second,
loosening,
and toes,
toes searching
and digging
for a gap in the sheets,
a cave, a fissure
to slide into.
Arthritic hands,
with knuckles
swollen,
and flesh
shrunk,
grope forwards
in the blackened dark,
closing tightly
on the corners
of plump fabric,
until it almost drowns
the body,
up to the neck.
The head falls.
Eyelashes dance
until they finally,
slowly,
surely,
run out of energy.