snow came early this year
my neighbour and I cleared our drives
without speaking
now there are two frozen piles
at the roadside
like pensioners chatting
at a bus stop
[first posted Jan 17, 2015]
helplines
while she held on to my hand
and whispered soothing words
she had one eye on her car keys
and a quick getaway
there is no common currency here
just rates of exchange
that fluctuate wildly
in different circumstances
try calling the helpline she said
there isn’t one I said
well try calling anyway she said
so I did
many times
many helplines
fifteen of them
[first posted Jan 2, 2016]
