here, talk to mary

here, talk to mary
for awhile,
your friend says,
handing the phone
to his wife,
leaving the conversation
in mid sentence.
you hold the phone away
from your ear and stare at it.
shake your head.
this is the world we live
in now, you think, sadly.
you have nothing
to say to her, but you
are too polite and mannered
to hang up.