Elizabeth Wells
The Other Side of the Fence
She cries now
she digs for lettuces
knuckles clenched white against dirt.
Although she knows how this world ends
the wisdom is not enough
to inoculate against grief
which has seared and wrung her out
to the dry ache
of a Chinese Burn.
Never having loved before
it took her by surprise:
the force of it like the first breath of a
baby
blue with rage, bottle-cold
thrust into the elements.
All she ever did
was post his letters
walk his dog
small solace to a neighbour
whose civil smiles and gentleness
belied the growing horror
in his chest:
a knot of fronds
or poisoned buds
which put down roots faster
than they could dig them up.
Page(s) 124
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