Cj Krieger Poet Prose

Old Time Phone Calls

I was a child
Before push button phones
When party lines were popular
And long distance calls
Went through an operator
Four one, one (411)
Did not exist
You would call the operator
And nine one, one
Was a long way off
In the future

The first two numbers
Were represented by a name
Like nightingale, getney
Nightingale 8 6000
Was really 648 6000
I remember push button phones
And how wonderful it was
And how quick it was
To make calls
I also remember 
When I was teenager
The first answering machines
Which allowed the caller
To leave a “fifteen second” message
Without a second chance

I remember making up
Funny messages
And I also remember 
When I first got call forwarding
And I would forward all my calls
To weather information
In Hawaii!... but
Times have changed
Things have changed
I have gotten old
And the phone 
Is no longer as much fun
As it use to be
But please don’t call me
Unless
You would like to speak
To Mr. Margulies
In Alaska

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Daniel Turner February 2, 2016 at 2:17 PM I lived in rural AR we had 3 on a line. Every house had a different ring sequence. Those WERE the good old days. Thanks for the memories. Great write.

DM Babbit February 2, 2016 at 9:34 AM I remember those party lines and actually my gram's first number started with our township and ended in J for her name Julia. Those were simpler days, thank you for the reminder Mr.Margulies in Alaska. DMB in Jersey.