Over Five Hours

She was in good form on the phone
now that she had gotten the heat back into her
the power having been cut
for over five hours

the first hour had been fine
but she felt the cold creep in
under the doors
through the keyholes
during the second

by the third she had put on a hat
and a second coat

winter had found her
by the fourth
in her bed
still in her hat and her coats
clutching the blankets close

darkness arrived by the fifth
the flashlight making her room smaller somehow

when the power returned
she called them
explained that she was in her eighties
catching up on ninety
that she can’t take the cold
not anymore
that she had been frightened
shivering in the dark
unsure of why
and when

she was told that the grid
had been overloaded
so many Christmas lights
calling for power
that wasn’t there

she understood
she liked the lights too
the twinkling magic
but she did not like
reminders
of how little it would take
to take her
to take any of us really

Steve Denehan lives in Ireland with his family. He is an award-winning poet and the author of two chapbooks and three collections.