Answering Machine

Ring, Ring, Ring

"Hello, you have reached-"

Click

The disappointment of the answering machine,

I have nothing to say to it,

No message to leave,

Just a need to hear your voice on the other end. 

Swirls, lines, doodles on a page,

Not art,

Just a way to make the seconds pass,

Something to keep me from watching the clock,

From going mad with impatience.

Ring 

"Hello,"

"Hello this is-"

Click

Just another machine,

An automated telemarketer.

Again I dial your number.

Ring, 

Ring,

Ring,

Ring,

Ring,

"Hello, you have reached-"

Click

I look to my doodle page,

It's lines and swirls and hearts, but mostly hearts.

Hearts that should look broken...

Broken for the one I can never be with,

The one I love,

The one who will never be more than a friend. 

I call one last time, again getting the machine.

This time a leave a message for you to call me back.

Then I wait, I wait until long after the sun a set, 

The moon is high in the sky.

Finally sleep consumes me,

Phone still in my hand,

Waiting for you to call.

When I awake the sun has risen,

and I have no missed calls.

I dial your number once again.

Ring,

Ring,

Ring,

Ring,

Ring,

"Hello, you have reached-"

Click

Reviews

[emma]

Very sad and realistic! I loathe answering machines, and I've been in this situation too many times to count. (except I wasn't waiting for a crush to call back. Mostly just my friends and parents) I also know the feeling of doodling to keep my mind off things. I have page after page of scribbles in a desk drawer. I prefer not to throw them out. Okay so back to the story. It was so well written. I didn't want it to stop. And as I said before, it was very realistic because it's a usual occurrence in this world. Excellent story, I loved it!

[Jenni-Chan]

wow kayla... that was sad.

[Christina May Shanaberg]

I know the feeling of this poem, which was well written! However, I did one called "The Answering Machine," which was a completely different take on those darn things. I have, actually, left messages like "If you think I am going to sit here and tell this stupid machine what I want, you are out of your mind." Or, the simple "I'm not talking to your dumb machine, if you want to talk to someone answer you damn phone." I have one to catch emergency messages, but I try to beat it, when I am home. That let it ring and go to voicemail, so you can play telephone tag the rest of the day, makes me want to scream!!!