The Phone Is Ringing Poem by Susan Williams

The Phone Is Ringing

Rating: 4.9


We live from day to day to day
and we play and we play and we play
we always have and we think we always will
yes there is a brain cell that knows that end it will
but we don't normally acknowledge it
until our life takes a sudden hit
until the phone is ringing in the middle of the night
........and we know in our gut that something is not right
until the car skids sideways down the snowy mountain road
........or we come blindly to a crossroad written in code
until your best friend is not your friend at all
........and trust has been given its first wormhole
until the cop comes to the door
........because someone evened the score and something's been answered for
until the tire blows at 105 miles per hour
........and we find there is no ivory tower
until the phone rings at three in the morning
........and there is no scorning the forewarning
until you see your daughter's blood pooled on the street
........and they're listening for a heartbeat
until you see your younger daughter fighting Stage 4 cancer
........and for that only God is your answer
until the sound of the phone ringing is not thrilling but chilling
........with all the fear it is instilling
until we realize the hard way
that living each day fully is not just a cliche
that we have been a spendthrift
that life is a onetime gift
with an expiration date
on its nameplate..
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~©2017 Susan Williams

The Phone Is Ringing
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Topic(s) of this poem: life and death,lifespan
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Tom Billsborough 15 June 2017

That phone ringing at an unexpected time is a powerful symbol for the onset of foreboding. You have expanded the symbol to include those moments that change our lives, the disloyalty of a best friend for example. Those sudden signals that denote change and reassessment. It is a profound poem and one I shall read often. It has to be in my favourites, Susan.

45 0 Reply
Norah Tunney 17 June 2017

I agree Tom

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Dr Dillip K Swain 29 May 2022

until we realize the hard way that living each day fully is not just a cliche that we have been a spendthrift that life is a onetime gift with an expiration date....wonderful expression. Loved this phone is ringing poem!

1 0 Reply
Susan Williams 14 August 2022

thank you for pointing out the words that touched you--it helps to know

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Unnikrishnan E S 02 March 2022

Made a revisit today, after maybe, five years. Enjoyed reading it again.

1 0 Reply
Susan Williams 14 August 2022

my friend, you are always welcome to my page and read all you want! ! ! !

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Susan Williams 14 September 2020

My dear Sandra Feldman, you traveled one of those roads by my side, giving me strength, instilling hope, being there when all was so dark. I pray that everyone travelling the roads where our children are in peril have an angel like you by their side ready to listen to us, ready to cry with us, ready to give us strength for another day. and another day after that. Truly, your parents should have named you Blessing. Love your dear heart.

1 0 Reply
Sandra Feldman 11 September 2020

If you had never written another word nor another poem, this masterpiece wins the universal place for human fear and pain, It deserves! The Sad Summit. I have never read anything sadder, more complete nor truer in the intense description of human pain. It's all here! I cried and felt all your tears and suffering too. And Life's unwanted knife turning and producing the most indescribable deep pain.

3 0 Reply
Susan Williams 23 December 2020

you traveled one of those roads by my side, giving me strength, instilling hope, being there when all was so dark. I pray that everyone travelling the roads where our children are in peril have an angel like you by their side ready to listen to us, ready to cry with us, ready to give us strength for another day. and another day after that. Truly, your parents should have named you Blessing. Love your dear heart.

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Susan Williams 10 September 2020

Suresh, thank you for reading and commenting

3 0 Reply
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