My Findings

Sirs, -

A breakthrough at last!…see below.

General survey – Week 30

The mirror remains blank.
No sign of her face in it yet,
applying dark powder to both eyelids
with a brush,
or the trademark black line
with a stroke of the pen.
Both brush and pen inert,
displaying no proof of use.

The robe lies discarded on the bed.
No evidence for residual moisture
from the shower,
or any of the lingering body-warmth
usually associated with recent wear.
As such it must accurately,
and disappointingly,
be regarded as ‘pristine’.

The hairdryer is cool to the touch,
its switch set to the ‘off’ position.
All indications suggest it’s been a while
since this product was used
in the ritual known as ‘the most boring five minutes of the day’.

My Findings

NB: this ritual traditionally involves
the fingers of her right hand,
known to run through the hair,
removing tangles.

Having begun to make use of a new translation
from the Russian of Fyodorov,
however, there appears to be a change in the flowers
I’m holding.
They’re currently at least two shades brighter
than before
and in this last hour
I’ve felt their faces turning upwards,
almost as if asking me to inspect them
for traces of fine dust
to ensure they’re ready
for whatever the next exciting stage of developments may be.