Dear Prudence

Our home phone only receives calls from robots
and my mother,
plus the occasional call from my alma mater to ask for money, and for some reason from people thinking they've reached WalMart as they ask for help
in hardware.

Lately a lonely man has started leaving messages.
I've come home from work to his voice on our machine,
the hello this is our house with our name message,
ignored,
more than a hint he's got the wrong number.

Hi, Prudence,we met at a meeting a while back and I'm just wondering if you'd like to go with me to a meeting or meet there or

Hi, Prudence, I've called before and I haven't heard back but you left me your number to call and we met at a meeting at the shelter and I'm thinking of going to one this

Hi Prudence, I'm calling again. Why won't you call me back? You said to call and I am but you

One day I came home as he was leaving his voice in my kitchen,
as I set down my purse and hugged my dog as she climbed up my legs,
happy to see me after the day apart.

Hi Prudence.  I'm calling you.  Are you not calling because you think I was drinking? I wasn't. It was just soda in my mouth. I was swallowing when I left that message I wasn't drunk.  You said I should call. Why won't you talk to me? Please.  I just want to go to a meeting. I

I reached for the phone. Hello, this isn't Prudence. Prudence isn't at this number.

Really? Really? He doesn't believe me.

Really. This isn't Prudence. You've dialed the wrong number.

Oh. OK.  I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

I felt then that I'd abandoned this lonely man,
leaving him with nothing but a piece of worn paper
with Prudence's number smudged,
or written wrong
on purpose.

I should have said I'd go.