Flip Flops at 4am

A jealous boyfriend loses his temper over a suspicious phone call.

It’s amazing how peaceful our lives can be

The daily dull of nothing happening

We complain about it

We fight against it

 

It only takes one moment for that dull to blaze away

The strange phone call at 2am

Her voice on another man’s phone

Your heart sinking

 

She’s been drinking with friends

It’s no big deal she assures you

They have to eat themselves sober

She’ll be home soon

 

Two hours pass with no word

The restaurant is twenty minutes away

You buzz the strange cell number

His number

No answer

 

You call again and he picks up

Is she there?

Yes, close by her voice echoes

She says she’s buying new flips flops

At four in the morning

 

The anger rises again

His phone, his voice, she’s with him

She’s out at four in the morning

While your home alone

Feeling like a jealous boyfriend

 

It’s no win really

You can be angry or disappointed

Confused or feeling mislead

All of it bullshit

 

Tiny inferences lead you to conclusions

None of which might be true

She has a friend or a crush

It’s usually simple and brief

And harmless

 

Your actions can make it worse

But only worse

Nothing can make it better

Nothing but trust

 

Flip flops at four in the morning

If that’s what she says

Then you believe her

He’s just a friend

So you believe her

 

It’s a feeling of powerlessness

The waiting, the wondering

In the end she did come home to you

And that’s all that matters

 

Besides

She has the new flip flops

To prove it

 

 

www.suburbanfiction.com

 

Reviews

[April Child]

I like this way of writing about jealousy and the title is genius. It's a nicely flowing poem just carries you along with it's rhythm. However, the first 2 verses were the ones for me.... could have been the opening to many different scenarios and it is so true that we complain about boredom but it just takes that one single moment to change everything and make us realise there are worse things than being bored.

[Lorraine Pearson]

I so agree with April on this...there are so many things worse than being bored...still, there are so many things better than being bored too! :D Cool write, and trust is a beautiful thing!
~Lorraiyne

[Adventerous Amy]

Wow after reading this i'm speechless, no word can explain how wonderful this poem is!!!
;-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kimberly]

I loved this poem all the way through, from the title to the wry, unanswered ending.

[Jules]

I could relate to this and the feeling of the jealous partner scenario, well written and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you,

Jules

[Chelsea Schermerhorn]

I admire the thinking behind this piece, but there is a lack of punctuation that is not exactly my cup of coffee. I like the non-classical feel to this poem, but it could have flowed a bit better in my opinion. Thank you very much for entering the Any and All Poetry Contest.

[Steven Pottle]

"Your actions can make it worse
But only worse
Nothing can make it better
Nothing but trust"

I love this struggle that you have, this questioning with yourself- if you say or do something then it'll probably all blow up in your face, but if you do nothing then are you letting them slip away...but in the end, if you love someone and TRUST them then that should always heal whatever scenario we have built in our heads.
A great write Alex and so much about relationships said in four simple (yet complex) lines.

[Nykkiicia Cion]

hahahaha....no comment!

[Damien Dsoul]

A new pair of flip-flops?? Man, I don't care if she went to see the Dentist - at 4 a.m. in the morning? Who she kidding? But that's just to say how moved I was by the dark humour of your poem.

[Prudence Desideria]

Loved it! That romantic vibe that's been twisted around into something battered with bitter/dark/suspicious emotion in this piece. And then the ending, which is climatic but almost feels surreal.

An honest portrayal of a very special set of emotions, a notion of the meaning of 'trust' in a relationship, and again the ending bringing it all together, all worked very well.

The language was personal, felt like I was standing there with him, waiting. Still, maybe at times it was a little too basic, dull. Maybe a few more climatic points in the middle? Although they're already there. Don't mean to bash at it, because I really did enjoy it. And the fact that you got the reader to be so drawn in as to actually see a person moving about in a kitchen, holding the phone, kputting it down, picking it up again, feeling... Amazing.

l
prue

[Ani Ashford]

This reminds me of when our son was living at home, and getting the phone call at 4 a.m. that he had been in an accident. I can smell the booze, feel the tension and anger in your words. Well done.