DANNY GARDNER

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KILLING TIME

One day I was looking
through an old address book
when I came upon a note
on a loose piece of paper:
'VJ 9957664'

I rang the number
and a woman's answering machine said:
'This is VJ.
You loaned me a match in a bar
so I could light my death-wish.
And afterwards I found we could talk to each other.
You wrote my number down
on a slip of paper -
but even if you do ring me now,
after so long when I needed to talk to you again -
it is too late.

Please don't leave a message.
Write the time of this call
down on a slip of paper
and see if you can remember what it is about
the next time you are killing time
and you come across the note
going through your old address book.'

Click.