Seen true: a skeleton,
a woman striding statue-tall
in a time of cities, of temples, of stories
lost: no foundation texts inscribed on her tall body
only her collar-bones in Shahr-e Sukhteh's dry ground: aš, aš
words unfinished, unfound—and an eye in her skull's left socket
that would have glowed gold and sun-patterned in her face,
seeing / sun-world, scorched to bone and gold / oh
/ women of gold: legs as long as temples,
as strong / to see her walk,
more than a story
I made.