safety pin

a button breaks
on your pants
making them slip
off your hips
and sag below your
waist. she laughs
while you hold them up
with one hand.
she offers you a safety
pin,
which you reluctantly
agree to.
i'm a nurse, she says,
don't worry,
I know how to handle
sharp objects
up against skin.
carefully she inserts
the pointed end into
the fabric
and pushes it closed.
there you are, she says,
patting you on the back,
now off you go.