Shireen Shaikh
Vocation
I could have been her
wandering into the public inquiry
late that afternoon
holding a child’s hand,
but I am paid to look persuasive
in white-collared black,
for the time being
this is what I do.
While I am on my feet
her bare arms and dress sense
catch my eye
like an opportunity missed.
My line of reasoning is less artful
than her loosely worn fabrics,
my presence less knowing.
Will I ever sit in a park
showing someone how to make daisy chains?
Will I be free to walk on sand
sharing the calling
of a shell held to the ear?
It is such a fragile piecing together
this broken mirror of a vocation,
forever treading awkwardly
to avoid shards.
Her image is a mirage
for lost places, tempting fate
unlike my illusion.
Stuttering I see a stairway
in mid-air
built on outdated ruins.
Where will it lead?
I want to hold witness to another way.
After the case is won
shaking the client’s hand
puts this skirmish with instinct
into perspective.
I pack up quickly
hoping to catch the woman
for a close-up view
but she has vanished
like a sudden deception.
Page(s) 70-71
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