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Susan
Constable
Job
Description
for a Locksmith
Answer
your cell phone 24/7.
Decipher
a distraught woman's call.
Follow
sketchy directions to her mother's home.
Unlock
the door with deft fingers, tools of the trade.
Wait
in the hall while your customer checks each room.
Give
her a hug when she returns.
Phone
911.
Listen
to the paramedic's paralyzing questions:
Is
she blue?
Is
she cold?
Are
you sure she's dead?
Take
a deep breath and enter a stranger's bedroom.
Force
your focus to the face on the pillow.
Gently
touch her cheek.
Lift
her hand in yours.
Leave
compassion, not a bill.
Continue
your day as though nothing has happened.
Lie
in bed at night and remember.
26
February 2005, round I, poem 7
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Susan
Constable
has received recognition for her writing in several poetry contests,
both in British Columbia and Ontario. Her work has also appeared in
Tickled by Thunder and in Sunshine and Shadows, a
self-published collection. She lives with her husband on Vancouver Island, off Canada's
west coast. email: S.Constable
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