Plastered Visages

Gritty pigment clings to fingernails as one sorts through the plastic trinkets left behind from an old party. A hairline fracture splits a death mask's cheek, marking exactly where a former shape surrendered its edges to decay. These hollow shells suggest that what we recognize is merely a sequence of chosen facades layered over years of drift. To select a face is to decide which fragment of the past remains visible in the light.