Working The Crisis Hotline
written by: Dianne Moritz
Down by the river
in cramped quarters,
telephones ring non-stop.
Young people, women
mostly, quickly pick up.
Voices cry out: Help me!
I’m too high; Someone
followed me; And…
Then he raped me.
This new recruit,
sensitive as bruised skin
calmly tries on comfort:
Stay cool. Talk to me.
Breathe, just breathe, I say.
All night long, I care,
console, my heart
racing, as perspiration
blurs worn referral cards.
During a brief silence,
I glance out a dark window,
see the boiling water,
imagine my body
floating downstream.
At shift’s end I exit, running…running.
Dianne Moritz
Dianne Moritz HAS worked as a retailer, psychometrist in a child guidance center, teacher, antiques dealer, and small business owner. She is now retired and enjoys writing children’s poetry and picture books from her home in Southampton, NY. Her next book, GOING ON A GHOST HUNT, will be released in fall 2022.
Latest posts by Dianne Moritz (see all)
- The Three Bears’ Christmas - December 22, 2022
- What’s in a Name? - September 25, 2022
- MOVIE STAR CRUSH - June 30, 2022
