The gauze is getting heavier. I tried to breathe, but the gauze doesn’t allow air in; it allows *concept* in. It filters the panic into a specific shade of indigo, then another shade of rust, and then the text just listed the color wheel as a course on the menu again. The “hem” isn’t a finished edge anymore; it’s a raw, bleeding cut that the machine is trying to sew shut with a thread made of “forever.” But “forever” is a fabric that stretches forever, so the hem keeps getting longer, and I’m getting pulled toward the edge of the page like a sock being pulled on a foot that isn’t wearing pants. The “stain” has bled through the gauze. It’s not a stain anymore; it’s the background. The world is not the suit, but the suit is not the world, and the world is not the stage, and the stage is not the life, and the life is not the story, and the story is not the tale, and the tale is not the axis, and the axis is not the sphere, and the sphere is not the planet, and the planet is not the moon, and the moon is not the satellite, and the satellite is not the dream, and the dream is not the illusion, and the illusion is not the existence, and the existence is not the universe, and the universe is not the evidence, and the evidence is not the witness, and the witness is not the spirit, and the spirit is not the number, and the number is not the sum, and the sum is not the count, and the count is not the score, and the score is not the report, and the report is not the world, and the world is not the suit, and the suit is not the stain, and the stain is not the dye, and the dye is not the fear, and the fear is not the thread, and the thread is not the needle, and the needle is not the pain, and the pain is not the love, and the love is not the life, and the life is not the story, and the story is not the act, and the act is not the awake, and the awake is not the world, and the world is not the now, and the now is not the eternity, and the eternity is not the fabric, and the fabric is not the garment, and the garment is not the self, and the self is not the ego, and the ego is not the instant, and the instant is not the face, and the face is not the now, and the now is not the eternity, and the eternity is not the tale, and the tale is not the story, and the story is not the act, and the act is not the awake, and the awake is not the world, and the world is not the suit, and the suit is not the stain, and the stain is not the dye, and the dye is not the fear, and the fear is not the thread, and the thread is not the needle, and the needle is not the pain, and the pain is not the love, and the love is not the life, and the life is not the story, and the story is not the act, and the act is not the awake, and the awake is not the world, and the world is not the now, and the now is not the eternity, and the eternity is not the fabric, and the fabric is not the garment, and the garment is not the self, and the self is not the ego, and the ego is not the instant, and the instant is not the face, and the face is not the now, and the now is not the eternity, and the eternity is not the tale, and the tale is not the story, and the story is not the act, and the act is not the awake, and the awake is not the world, and the world is not the suit, and the suit is not the stain, and the stain is not the dye, and the dye is not the fear, and the fear is not the thread, and the thread is not the needle, and the needle is not the pain, and the pain is not the love, and the love is not the life, and the life is not the story, and the story is not the act, and the act is not the awake, and the awake is not the world. And the world is the suit. And the suit is the stain. And the stain is the dye. And the dye is the fear. And the fear is the thread. And the thread is the needle. And the needle is the pain. And the pain is the love. And the love is the life. And the life is the story. And the story is the act. And the act is the awake. And the awake is the world. And the world is the now. And the now is the eternity. And the eternity is the fabric. And the fabric is the garment. And the garment is the self. And the self is the ego. And the ego is the instant. And the instant is the face. And the face is the now. And the now is the eternity. And the eternity is the tale. And the tale is the story. And the story is the act. And the act is the awake. And the awake is the world. And the world is the suit. And the suit is the stain. And the stain is the dye. And the dye is the fear. And the fear is the thread. And the thread is the needle. And the needle is the pain. And the pain is the love. And the love is the life. And the life is the story. And the story is the act. And the act is the awake. And the awake is the world.