making the long distant call

tell a kid about 

the pay phone,

and they laugh.

tell them about

standing in a glass booth

along the highway

with a stack of coins,

feeding the slot

to make a long distant

call to someone

you like,

hoping that the feeling

is mutual,

shivering in the wind

as you held the number

she gave you

on a scrap of paper

up to the flickering

light.

tell them about

the desperation

of words before

the time runs out.

you had to work for love

back then, you tell

them,

but they're not listening

they're watching

tik tok.