A single hand reaches out

to touch it's

diseased self

to press against the hard flesh

and feel

the blood running off the fingertips

of it's startled twin

a layer of dust falls slowly to the floor

red in the light

streaming in through the stained glass window

a cirlce of fire

in which the bearer stands again

and a startled look as he draws his hand

back from the mirror

to see

miraculously knit fingers

healthy and fresh

as if never cut

and a single oil-black tear runs down his

face

a tear of blood

in the dusty glass