The Fox Bead in May

The kiss is, strictly speaking, a passing

of of   twice: a bead from her mouth to his,

then back, ad nauseam, and the boys who lived

and died for it. The lovely girl amassing

ninety-nine spirits, and in high spirits

for consuming her highest amount. Once

the hundredth boy arrived she starts her hunt

in her haunt, a hill’s field filled with fitting

And every day they kissed to swap the bead

and for a month he waned and wans

and when he learned the truth about her tongue,

he downed the bead: her true form a nine-tailed

fox who could have turned human, had he kissed on.