[Ring, Ring, Ring]
The telephone rings but I don’t want to answer
On the other side is someone who I’m running away from
[Ring, Ring, Ring]
I pick up and hang up
They call again
Utter silence throughout my end
“Hello? I know you’re there”
Silence
“Talk to me. Please”
Silence
Nothing left to be said
To someone who walked out and never came back
“I can hear you breathing. Say something”
“Goodbye”
I hang up and pace the empty room
That was once full of memories
Full of laughter and love
[Ring, Ring, Ring]
I stand in front of the phone, hanging on the wall
The cord tangled up like the pathways in my brain
How do I acknowledge someone who murdered me
Left me on the floor cold and senseless
[Ring, Ring, Ring]
“How could you? How could you leave?”
For once you were silent
Not knowing how to respond
“I needed you and you left”
Without another thought I hung up
You never called back
My confession of need set you back
I never wanted you
I needed you
You never needed me
You simply wanted me
____
The featured image, ‘Your Gaze’, was used with permission of artist, Terrie Shum. Terrie is a New Zealand-based illustrator currently studying a communication design major at Auckland University of Technology. She specialises in digital art, and has an interest in painting imagery from sci-fi and nature.
