Call Waiting

I killed you!
I took away your power to insult.
Never again will your strident, insistent beeping
intrude on intimacies between friends.

No. I struck you off.
I pressed the buttons that devoured you.
I ended your reign of terror.
Then Pauline rang
‘A new baby? Wond....’
Beep - Beep! Beep - Beep!

You didn’t die!
From happy jubilation
brain switches,
buttons pressed,
retreating “Call me back.”

I lost the war.

I don’t blame Pauline.
Rudeness is forgiven under pressure
from the mighty “I wonder who it is?”
Someday I’ll explain
and continue my campaign
for courtesy.

I died a little.

Aren’t I important too?





(Sketch of Pauline by Jessica McCallum)

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This seems so dated now ~ I was annoyed at the automatic installation of 'Call Waiting' by our local Telco and thought it so rude! It was during a call to my good friend Pauline it really hit home!
Not knowing how to take it off and considering whoever I was speaking to first had (telephone) right of way, I wasn't going to interupt them or cut them short because someone else was ringing! Basic courtesy - right?
Now of course, all sorts of applications are old hat - we easily remove it and being unaware of the new call, can ignore the seduction of an unknown caller!