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20 minutes

June 9, 2008 at 1:51 AM

"Ding dong ding,"
an ascending triad rings out.
The door closes.

A disconcerting stare.
A feeble mind.
Paralyzed in a moment.

The warmth of a hand
never so cold, stone-hearted,
unfeeling.

Speak.
Scream.
Soundless.

A momentary prison,
haunting and cruel.
Freed at last.

That's beautifully written, Kelsey. You're right about the beneficial, even humanizing effect of hand contact. My father once wrote a poem about the healing effect of the warm hand of a nurse in the cold environment of an infirmary.