rhonda?

you pick up the phone
and say hello,
nothing, so
you say it again,
hello, hello, is anyone
there. silence and
then a steady stream
of crying, sobbing.
gentle wheezing
and blowing into a
kleenex. mom, you
say? no, she says,
stuttering. gina, you
say again?  no you dope,
she replies back.
this is not gina,
whoever the hell that is.
ummm, melinda?
i hate you she says.
you don't even
know who this is
do you?  jackie?
that's it, she says.
her crying now stopped.
her voice clear
and strong. she's pulled
herself together.
don't ever call me
again, she says.
then hangs up the
phone. you amaze
yourself sometimes
at how helpful
you can be towards
others.