QUICKDRAW Jas & Alice

I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones, like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m all alone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pellet in my ear, and hear me groan. You’ve wounded me. Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the phone, Then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of the mark. You choose your spot, then blast me. Military language. Harsh /dramatic atmosphere. Quickdraw – clips used by rock climbers to attach rope to bolt anchors. Like a lifeline. If the clips break they would fall. Plosives add to harsh tone. ‘quickdraw’ meant in a literal sense? Quickly draws phone from pocket? Or metaphorical sense. Answering the phone is a lifeline: it will make or break her. Broken her heart? To hurt to answer the phone? ‘squeeze the trigger of my tongue’ keeps mouth closed? Doesn’t speak? Or it could mean that she tries to fire back but ‘wide of the mark’ means it didn’t hurt like she intended? Lover then answers back. ‘blast me’ shows pain caused by words?

through the heart. And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor in the old Last Chance saloon. I show the mobile to the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’s concealed. You text them both at once. I reel. Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone, read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this... and this...and this...and this...and this... Violence theme, like when you’re hitting someone “Take this and this etc.” Heart is the centre of emotion, as opposed to being shot in the head, the heart symbolises emotional hurt, which is worse? Mobile is used as a weapon, technology killing a relationship? Theme of criminology Must have a very strong attachment to this person, feeling a lot of strong emotions – idea of the rock climbing clip/lifeline.