congratulations

a fox hangs in the notch between my collar bones
painted on a small glass tile
he is the cruelty in the glance over my shoulder
the sin behind my smile
the sly-er, sleeker version of the ash cross
on my forehead

a more mature version of myself
the reformed and saved
refined and 'changed'
will one day remove the dangling fox
from it's dangerous closeness to the heart inside my ribs
replace the childish arrogance of display with
shame
and remorse

delicate the ferocity of cynical delight
quiet as skilled paws on the forest floor

poisonously elegant the coy remarks of a still-proud ghost
deceitfully gentle as the soft snout that curtains fangs

a fox rests heavy on bone
claws not quite ready to crush

resting in the notch between my collar bones