‚Communication Circus‛ by K. R. Copeland, 2010
Oh Telemarketer Jessie Carty Oh Telemarketer — I know you are just doing your job — I’ve been there. I had to pull numbers from the phone book — Cold call — Mostly women — To see if they wanted to sponsor a child for the circus. I was calling on behalf of the Shriners and this predated Caller-ID but was after rotary phones so at least I didn’t have to turn a dial all day — Nor do you. Oh Telemarketer — I want to feel sorry for you but you keep trying to sell me on a change to my satellite dish plan even after I’ve said no — I try to shut you down with — Well I thought
of canceling since I’m unemployed but you are undeterred. Oh Telemarketer — I don’t want to hang up on you — I want you to end this call but after my third negation and the ongoing scripted sound of your voice I give in — I hang up with a — No thank you and goodbye. Oh Telemarketer — I hope it wasn’t your first day — I hope you didn’t take it personally — If you see this — Note the original draft was written on the back of yet another poetry journal rejection. Like you telemarketer — I keep trying.
Jessie Carty's writing has appeared in publications such as Main Street Rag, Iodine Poetry Journal and The Houston Literary Review. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, At the A & P Meridiem (Pudding House Publications, 2009) and The Wait of Atom (Folded Word, 2009), as well as a full-length poetry collection, Paper House (Folded Word, 2010). Jessie is a freelance writer and writing coach. She is also the photographer and editor for Referential Magazine. She can be found around the web, where she blogs about everything from housework to the act of blogging itself. Blog (http://jessiecarty.com) Contact Jessie (jessie.carty@gmail.com)