THe Wrong Number©

Warm rich and vibrant
The voice held me in a spell
Spoke on
Took time to realize
He was not whom I had called.
"Wish you a happy birthday
It is mine too"
Laughter shared
In the middle of the night
The erring boyfriend
And forgotten fight.

Cozy darkness
That freezing winter night
Found myself speaking on
A shared intimacy
The darkness concentrating it.
Trivial talk
But warm friendliness

After he hung up
It sunk inI had not asked
Neither name nor number

Ships that pass in the night.
But cheery beginning
Glad New Year of life.

******************************

Wednesday was woeful
Bad news from home
"Dad unwell"
Said the impersonal letters
On the cheerless telegram.

Performance Appraisal-
The monster in the chair
"Way below potential,
Is it difficult for you to understand"

Cannot cry-
No, cannot let them know
They have got to me.
Leave- I was on probation
One has to adjust ma'am.

Misty eyes blurring
I dialed from my desk
She would understand.

Ring ring the trilling
And "yes, tell me"
A masculine voice!
Warm reassuring
It was he.
Poured my heart out.
Spoke and spoke
Of the injustices, the pain
No empty assurances
Just a steady listening.
No suggestions
Or half-guilty
"Am sorry"
Comfort in the presence
No reminiscing
Just there and listening.
I was too distraught to ask the name

******************************
Money worries
Late in the night.
Cannot do anything now
Except toss and turn
Only half an hour?
It seemed like dawn
Restless
The sheets crumpled.

Maybe call up someone
Talk my heart out.
SHHHHHHH
Not the light
The perils of waking
An irascible roommate.
Dial my mother

It is he again.
This is strange
And a landline too
I cannot capture the number

I talk
He listens
The established routine
Shared laughter
And a few jokes
And then I doze off
Worries forgotten

******************************
Ah all important
Matters of the heart
Will they find me
Good enough for
The Apple of their eye?

And the convincing
At my side
.He is good but..

I dial my best friend
And find him
Again

So often has this been
I don't wonder
And still do not ask
Number or name
But then he does not volunteer
The information either.

I know the voice so well now
The inflection
The tone
The hidden warmthAnd the feeling
All will be all right.

******************************

So many years now
Every crisis
Big or little
No matter what I dialed
He was at the other end.

Listening
Warm and comforting
Gentle

Close so close
Never getting nearer
I only knew the voice
Not the name

Now did not care to ask
It did not matter.
Only knew I had to be in trouble
He would be there.

It has been so many years
Hometown long forgotten
Left with memories


The old doctor, wizened
"Yes I delivered you
Happiness and pain
At the same instant
Your twin was stillborn."