(epi)dermis

thinnest on the eyelids 

thickest on the feet 

sometimes cells sleep

or slough clustering by 

cluster in kitchen corner 

corners things hidden 

below (secret things)

stratified layers that burn 

off fast leaving

baby-soft black boxes 

of dutiful silence 

underneath (shhh)

quiet in the eye 

quick on the feet 

but slumped tough 

in the aftermath of after