The Awkwardness of a Friendship
By Jo-Ann Ledger
I glanced at the clock today
when you answered the phone.
50 minutes later
your cursory, “How are you?”
the only inclusionary pause
in your full-throttle chatter.
I listen
I wait
I keep secrets
I try a safe distance
but my patience erodes
under the torrent
of your words.
I inhale deeply,
ready to interrupt the tide
but you say that you have to go.
“So good to hear from you!”
you conclude brightly
without a drop of irony.
I hang up
defeated.
Today is not the day
to curb the deluge
to delve beneath
to begin gently
stepping
towards authenticity
to be heard.
Thank you for including my poem. What a pleasant surprise!
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