The Message That Never Arrives

The Message That Never Arrives

I

The moon over the phone box roof - one square of glass held a square of it like a letter waiting for a postmark.

II

I dialled the number from memory. It rang into a room I had already left.

(III, unrecovered)

the message that never arrived

IV

The operator said the line was no longer in service, then kindly offered me the exact time. Somewhere a clock agreed.

V

Ivy - I will keep calling into the ringing. The ringing is the record.

VI

The dial tone hummed. The coin came back. The light went blue. The phone box kept its square of glass, and the glass kept nothing.

It does not know.