When The Operator Listened In

Phone Boxes, remember them?

can you recall those 

lengthy phone conversations 

shortly after we met 

when we were separated  

by land and sea

while you worked in Dublin

with little hope of us meeting

for months

how we would spend hours

each evening dining on love

a vivid imagination with a

hunger no food would satisfy

till the operator stepped in

to remind us we had two minutes

for fond farewells before

the line would go dead

and when you pleaded

in your Liverpool drawl that

you were clean out of change

she took pity and gave us extra

time so we could continue with

our sweet nothings while she 

resumed with her knitting

and her eavesdropping

we were the after supper

entertainment not the usual

drop dead handsome leading actor

or his besotted blonde interest 

memorising and acting out a script

for others my darling

we happened to be

the real deal

Reviews

[William Michael Reeves]

I remember worrying that someone might be listening to calls we were making. Audio voyeurism. I'm not quite old enough to remember the boxes, not even sure if we had them over here. Just operators connecting us. Probably laughing and crying with us. Telephone threesomes. An interesting blast of the past Chris.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Bill for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Hope all is good with you.

Chris

[Betty Hermelee]

What a memorable poem and that strikes a chord with my personal life as well…. What better entertainment than to speak to a loved one even FREE sometimes, though the operator might have listened in! A tale of sweet love on a long distance call. Nice work!
Best, B

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks always dear Betty for your encouragement. Pleased you could relate. Big thank yous for stopping by.

Chris

[Betty Hermelee]

you're so welcome dear Chris... your poetry seems relatable to me ...and it's so interesting...
read moreyou're so welcome dear Chris... your poetry seems relatable to me ...and it's so interesting...
Best B.

[Patricia Wedel]

Wow… I remember “party lines” and operators who were lonely. Now we live in “borrowed time”. You embroider our 💜 💜 Hearts with “forget me nots”. gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Pat, I love forget me nots. I have them in my garden in spring. You reminded me of their very pretty little flowers. Pleased you can relate. A long time ago now but seems like yesterday. Thanking you for your kindness.

Chris

[Vertigo Cat1111]

‘a vivid imagination with a
hunger no food would satisfy’

This is one of my favorites of yours I think… wow, the story you tell, the emotion and the way you draw the curtains to give us a glimpse of it all. I love everything about it, all the detail, the visual, the love. This is a poem that would draw emotion of anyone. Reminds me of a lyric from one of my favorite songs. ‘Called me from a pay phone, they still got payphones?’ I also adore the title of the poem. Thank you for sharing this gorgeous diamond.

[Chris Shaw]

So good you stopped by Vertigo Cat. Haven't seen you for a while. Hope life is being good to you. Thank you for such a very positive review. Pleased to hear this is a fav of yours. All the best to you.

Chris

[Dave Brown]

Excellent subject matter
Humphrey Bogart would have been lost without those old telephone booths

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Dave and for the memory of Humphrey Bogarde. What an actor and Lauren Bacall too. Happy you liked this one. Busy day today. Clearance of my aunt's apartment!!

Chris

[softlyfall]

So romantic, in a lovely, sincere, humble way. Your poems evoke the reader's own memories because they are so weighted with genuine emotion. It has the feel of someone looking out over the years gone by with fondness, contentment.
I remember when the television went off at midnight, then 2 A.M. a few years later. I'm not sure if this was local but right before the screen went to static, Slim Pickens ( as major Kong) riding the bomb in Dr Strangelove (yes I was born when dinosaurs still roamed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6WD7B_I_9c

[Chris Shaw]

Amy, your review and encouragement are so positive. Means alot that you can relate to my poetry. Thank you so much and I will check that link out. So busy at the mo. Clearance of my aunt's apartment today. Hard work for the last couple of days. All the best.

Chris

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I remember years ago where walking on main street there was a phone booth on practically every block. Now street lamps occupy their space. It is so strange to be reminded of these times not so far behind where one would deal with a live phone operator at the other end of a call asking for more money in order to extend one's time. We have come so far so fast it's incredible. And despite all this change it hasn't made us any better as human beings. Can't wait for the brain chips that will allow us instant access to the internet and social media. Eww...no thanks. I hope rotary phones and lan lines make a come back. CLE

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Carlos. Yes times have certainly changed and you are so right, we are no better human beings for the so called progress. Times change, nitcakwatscfir the better. Really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Have a good Tuesday.

Chris

[Lorry]

I remember them well Chris.
The sometimes faint, sometimes pungent aroma of eau de urine wafting in the air, the trust placed in an antibacterial hand sanitizer free world and the grumpy git rattling the door thinking it was for his use only.
Come to think of it, with all those sweet nothings whispered into the receiver, it's a miracle some plague or lurgae hadn't picked us off sooner.
Young love, eh? 😊

[Chris Shaw]

Ha, eau de urine :) Thankfully Lorry, I was in the comfort of my own home while he had to prop himself up in the phone booth for hours on end. This was Ireland but they no doubt also had pungent smelling phone booths. Yes, young love. Those were the days. Ta for stopping by.

Chris

[Ken e Bujold]

I can completely identify with this new poem of yours Chris. Muse and I went through that very same journey of the ears, separated by the distance of 12 time zones in our early days. I (we) both still recall fondly the coordinating dance of trying to fit schedules to ensure our daily jaunts across the satellites for a long-distance romance. For years I kept all the old phone cards as keepsakes (no! I hear her over my shoulder in the other room, you kept them cause you were too damn lazy to chuck them in the dustbin! Such a literal mind my love has).
Thanks for trip down memory lane
Ken

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks for that lovely share Ken. Pleased you and Muse can relate. We did alot of our "" courting" on the phone. Quite a few long separations when he worked out of my county. Those were the days. Have a great Tuesday.

Chris

[willweb]

Now that was cute and something I can definitely picture in my mind while reading from both the lover's POV and the nosey operator's. I actually found myself lost in those pictures while reading. I really enjoyed this

[Chris Shaw]

That's a lovely review willweb. Thank you so much. All good wishes.

Chris

[Soren]

Chris this brought back memories of when there were operators and pay phones, setting the scene for memories of the past relationships. I remember those times when I had to make an appointment with a girl to go to the phone company and await my call, and how, at times the call would drop. This piece brought back many memories of the past.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Soren. Pleased this poem brought you some memories. I appreciate you stopping by. All the best.

Chris