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second silence

what's the hurry? he says
i've got a date, jackson says
at midnight? davis says
why not? jackson says
the night is young

you could have
cued the music, davis says
as jackson darts out the door

davis at his solitary work
dances around the studio by himself
(the umbilical cord fo the headphone
attached to the control panel)

slops coffee over the program schedule
stares out at the city lights hands in pockets
cues the music again

then the beat stops suddenly
davis lifts off the headphones
like a spaceman returned to earth
checks the switches
picks up the direct line

hey jock, davis says
the transmitter's gone
already tried the backup power

it's half past three
if you want to know

davis sits in the silence
the second silence in two nights, he thinks
and these things some in threes

hello out there, he says
to the dead mic

the phone light blips
what's happened? sally says

~

this short story is an excerpt of Martin Chipperfield's novel "night falling". more about this novel in a short interview, here:
night falling

~

words: Martin Chipperfield, Adelaide (34thParallel)
photo: Jeff Crouch, Texas (more)

 

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