Rick, I'm bowled over that you think so.
Roger, yes, since I was writing about snakes, I knew that "rattled" would evoke rattlesnakes. But I don't see that as inappropriate. The snake rattles when it is rattled itself. Being devastated can make a person dangerous, too. "Any salve" was supposed to be open-ended and suggestive of all the negative ways people choose to numb pain. I don't think "a salve" would have the same impact. I think the "still" also carries weight, because one can't go back, but that doesn't stop one from wanting to.
Susan
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