‘How old is Maggie?’

the energy healer asks over speakerphone.  
at her name “She’s old. We don’t know the  
number …” a stiff stretch “... but she’s been  
through it.” she slips off the bed “I just saw— 
they took her babies.” curls up facing away 
on the floor “Ah, that makes sense.” Her  
frenzy when the mailman stomps across  
the lawn, howling and hurling herself teeth-
first at the windows. “When you see inside  
someone’s …” “Energy.” “... are you ever  
shocked by how horrible it is?” “How do I 
put this? Always.”