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July 9, 2022

Voice From The Past




I was finishing the leftover blooming onion
from last night’s meal out

or bloody onion as I call it

washing it down with some coffee 

that was good ‘til the last drop indeed

when I got a call on my phone 

from an old ‘friend’ 

so old in fact I didn’t recognize his name or number

not sure how he got my number 

a guy who I used to work with in a warehouse 

loading trucks with little gray totes

full of canned goods and antidotes 

he said he saw one of my short stories 

in a magazine and wondered how I was doing  


////////// 



I told him I wrote poems and articles, I was fine

he said that was cool

we chatted for a little bit 

and I was waiting for it

he tried to be seemingly casual about it

when he mentioned he was working 

as a vice-president for some wall street firm

(everyone’s who’s worked there a week is at least a vice-president)

and asked if I did any type of investing 

I said I was standing on my …..tiptoes 

barely keeping my head above water 

he could barely conceal his disappointment 

he said something about it being important 

and that I should get with him in case 

I do want to do some investing later on

in a tone of voice far different than the ‘Hey buddy!’ 

tone he was using in our previous conversation 

after a couple more words, 

he said he had another call coming in 

and had to go—-uh huh

keep walking old ‘buddy’

don’t let the phone hit you in the ass

on the way out