the telephone has not been kind of late,
of late there have been more and more calls
from people who want to come over and talk
from people who are depressed
from people who are lonely
from people who just don’t know what to do
with their time;
I’m no snob, I try to help, try to suggest something that
might be of assistance
but there have been more calls
more and more calls
and what the callers don’t realize is that
too have
problems
and even when I don’t
it’s
necessary for me
sometimes
just to be alone and quiet and
doing nothing.
so the other day
after many days of listening to depressed and lonely people
wanting me to assuage their grief,
was lying there
enjoying looking at the ceiling
when the phone rang
and I picked it up and said,
listen, what ever your problem is or what ever it is you want,
can’t help you.”
after a moment of silence
whoever it was hung up
and I felt like a man who had escaped.
napped then, perhaps an hour, when the phone rang
again and I picked it up:
what ever your problem is
can’t help you!”
is this Mr. Chinaski?”
yes.”
this is Helen at your dentist’s
office to remind you
that you have an appointment at
3:30 tomorrow
afternoon.”
told her I’d be
there for her.
Other works by Charles Bukowski...
