nina religion she supernaturally met me at a peruvian restaurant in the middle of the day it had rained earlier, and the heavens had opened up to reveal a determined blue the sun was a round disc, a white eucharist afire sitting across from the most beautiful angel a waiter approached, i did not care pure, bracing water was poured, and i could not pay attention she was talking nonchalantly, and i was talking nonsense but the sound was muffled, and no words were recorded she wore an ebony ankh, and maybe a white blouse, i couldn’t be sure now her skin glowed as if she had just finished dancing i imagined her lithe frame gracing a ballet folklório she lifted her head, and finally met me the ankh looked like it was burned or branded directly into her innocent neckline her smoky eyes looked up to me and her lovely voice intoned: the most intimate thing you can do to someone else is cut them the next eight months were a blur, and she is gone now i am left with my scars i am left with my knives