A distant relic of time..
The now romantic-seeming, domestic landline.
With your parents' Filofax of contacts to its side,
in a place of household pride.
Contacts acquired throughout one's 20th Century prime,
home numbers inked on every line...
Sometimes lines crossed through,
updated at a later stage -
always a little room left for
new landlines
on every page.
How it rang throughout the house,
how you ran throughout the house -
how it clicked when you picked up,
or clacked when downed
to make it stop.
How you twirled the curly cord,
when talking if engrossed
- or bored -
and how clear
and close
each caller seemed
elaborating what they'd mean..
Now the days for landline use,
are past us all and seem obtuse
- and you need no longer schedule
and wait
by the landline
at set date.
Few boast a charming 'telephone' -
in quirky colours
in their home,
and maybe, never will again
as the landline
is a foregone trend.
Copyright Yafeu-Khamisi Rodway-Brown