Flaws of the cold within poem

Nthis poem by ruskin bond, what does the use of the word heart-beats suggest about the narrator's attitude toward life?

Precarious subsistence voracious abysmal wood is to fire as food is to arrowright grinning is to cheerful as teetering is to arrowright conniving is to scheming as terrible is to arrowright mournful is to sad as gluttonous is to arrowright

What is sue’s reaction to her phone call