Runaway fingers frame the rusted chain
Shutter clicks catch oil-slick rain
Lens flares bloom on cracked concrete seams
Boot heels grind through buried dreams
Silver casing splits at the hinge
Time-stamped negative frozen fringe
Magnetic north pulls loose from center
Photo paper drinks the splinter
North unspooled the needle spins wild
Backyard jungle claims the child
Workshop walls lean paint peels thin
True direction wears a rusted grin
Film advance lever jams on frame twelve
Developer stains the wooden shelf
Fixer fumes curl like copper wire
Compass rose burns in chemical fire
Silver casing splits at the hinge
Time-stamped negative frozen fringe
Magnetic north pulls loose from center
Photo paper drinks the splinter
North unspooled the needle spins wild
Backyard jungle claims the child
Workshop walls lean paint peels thin
True direction wears a rusted grin
Contact sheet dries on sagging twine
Star-trail arcs cross the fence line
Enlarger bulb blows darkness snaps
Compass glass maps the collapsed maps
Developer tray reflects the sky
Stop bath freezes the reason why
Fingerprints smudge the glossy print
North finds home in the mint tint
North unspooled the needle spins wild
Backyard jungle claims the child
Workshop walls lean paint peels thin
True direction wears a rusted grin
Morning light hits the developed strip
Compass needle settles finds its grip
Runaway packs the camera bag
Workshop roof lets the sun rays drag
North unspooled the needle spins wild
Backyard jungle claims the child
Workshop walls lean paint peels thin
True direction wears a rusted grin
Shutter closes on the final frame
North holds steady calls her name
