The Business Life

When someone hangs up, having said
to you, "Don't come around again,"
and you have never heard the phone
banged down with such violence
nor the voice vibrate with such venom,
pick up your receiver gently and dial
again, get the same reply; and dial
again, until he threatens. You will
then get used to it, be sick only
instead of shocked. You will live,
and have a pattern to go by, fàmiliar
to your car, your senses and your dignity.