The autospy (poem)

the little toe of the right foot protrudes. see,
you can see the splay, see the deep corn pressed upon it by years of leather shoes.
(I imagine it hurt her, often, in life).

no ink on her, but several scars -
most abdominal. you can see them, here, can't you,
silver-ropey, testament to surgical births and an extracted appendix at least,
perhaps more than that. we'll see when we go deeper.

fairly generously provided with adipose tissue, especially here and here
(yes, of course, you're right. women do tend to carry fat on buttocks and hips.
there is nothing so unique in that).
It's hard to me completely certain, but I suspect the face was quite deeply lined, when animate
I don't think she carried her years lightly, this one.

hair, grey. eyes, hazel. a broad mouth, very few original teeth
(certainly, check dental records. there's some expensive implant work in here).
her upper spine slightly curved, note that
it would have appeared quite a pronounced dowager's hump, when she walked the world

she was a white woman, skin damaged by years of southern sun
DNA suggests Scots-Irish heritage, and oh yes,
flicked up a few blurs that might help you
she was a Coeliac, she was heterozygous for haemochromatosis -

age? well, well, you tell me. the equation isn't so hard, is it?
75, you say? not a bad guess, but I'd put her a little older than that
perhaps closer to 80. there is a slump, here, in the chinline,
I have seen that acquiescent tell before. she was - tired.
full of years and ready.

now, the big question - this is the one you want, isn't it.
what killed her? the what, before the who, because perhaps there isn't a who -
in this case, though,
you'll be looking for the who.
see this staining, here - just around the base of the tongue -
yes, it's poison. unless self administered - and I doubt that - it was given to her
it would've taken her quite quickly, I imagine,
night would have fallen apace.

well, yes, I suppose you must go about your tasks now. I'll finish here -
yes, yes, I'll send the report. and any further clues I find
to her, or to the one who killed her
but don't hold your breath -

so it's just you and me now, old dear,
let's get you open to the sky
requiescat in pace

- Kathy, 25/04/14