[Alex Pepple]

Originally Posted by John Beaton

On seeing the very positive comments on this, I took another look at it. I do like the effective handling of the silence near the end.

My first reaction was tainted by having seen the device used before, by Linda Pastan (found here http://www.poetryfoundation.org/arch....html?id=30148 and discussed here http://www.pd.org/Perforations/perf29/mk1.pdf with one subheading called "The Ghost In The Answering Machine"), and I think in a poem posted here a while back related to Anthony Hecht. However, if we can't appreciate poems on subjects that have already been written about, we wouldn't enjoy any new poems.

John

I also had that sense of déjà vu and question of true originality, but couldn't quite place it until I saw your link and remembered. I believe I've also seen another sonnet on a similar note, unless it's this same one.

Cheers,
...Alex

[Roger Slater]

This may be my favorite so far, as well, though I thought the opening was a tad weak, both because it went on a bit too long, and because it seems to be a bit out of date (that sort of barrage of junk phone calls, all leaving messages, is more or less a thing of the past with the advent of do-not-call lists). Anyway, the list risked boredom, all to set up the "surprise" voice and news. I'd have preferred a different list of mundane messages to set up the surprising news, perhaps a wrong number and a hang-up. But all in all, much enjoyed and admired.