HOT AND COLD

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a red and white ambulance rounds the corner, 
blasts two whoops of its siren 
heads up Mills in a hurry, 
a woman in tight black bike shorts pedals a hot-pink two-wheeler across Route 66.  
the box-shaped ambulance pulls away up the hill 
blinking and blowing
growing smaller 
the woman pumping pedals, all tight on the narrow bike seat and day-glo pink frame tubing

around the block a young girl crouches knees-up 
clutching her plastic shovel, 
shaking mud from something in her hand 
safe in her driveway, intent, concentrating--
my refrigerator keeps cold fried chicken and cottage cheese and hot Louisiana links and I am glad when Kloi smiles 
and keeps clipping bushes between our houses when I pull in
and says
'Duke is getting better'

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