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When a Pronoun Lacks a Nominal Antecedent
What is Truth?
That old unanswered question.
I know when I'm telling a lie though.
I lie not. There I was
minding my own business,
making myself a complimentary cup of coffee
in the hotel lobby when
this man leaves his seat
and stands right next to me, glaring.
"Where is she?"
He wore a workman's knitted skull cap.
He pierced me with steely blue eyes.
He was tall and strongly built.
I was about to say "Who is she?"
but thought better of it.
He'd think I was questioning his judgment
in posing such a question.
"I've been looking for her over a year now."
I thought I should say something reassuring.
"Just wait a little. She'll soon be back."
"Who do you bloody well think you are?
What gives you the right to say such a thing?"
"Nothing personal," I blurted. "Nothing personal.
I took "she" to refer generically to all womankind."
I think it took him four seconds to ingest my words,
by which time I had vanished down a corridor.
Copyright ©
Julian Scutts
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