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How does a poet know when a poem is ended? Because it lies flat, taut; nothing can be added or subtracted. How does a woman know when a marriage is over? Because of the way her life suddenly shears off in just two directions: past and future.

How does a poet know when a poem is ended? Because it lies flat, taut; nothing can be added or subtracted. How does a woman know when a marriage is over? Because of the way her life suddenly shears off in just two directions: past and future.

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Attribution & collection notes
Author or tradition
Carol Shields
Attribution: attributed
Country attributed
Not established
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Historical period not yet established
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Contributor-provided quotation collection

Supplied reference C; CSV row 36889; supplied attribution, independently unverified

A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.