# dial

two-tone composition  
unknown destinations  
an operator obsesses  
over pickup & hangup

one +1 more connected  
than 2. you will. _and  
the company that will  
bring it to you is me_

push digits into holes,  
keep spinning until you  
feel the click in place  
switch arms, hands tire

blinking countless lines,  
voice carrying fast & far  
on continuous copper wire  
silence costs us as much—

draw X’s & O’s in octothorps  
sleep clutching our handsets  
there is so much to exchange  
during long-distance calling

## poem details

- [color](https://chromato.graphics/colors): [Bell System Process Blue](https://archive.org/details/us-west-companies-graphic-standards/page/n39/mode/2up)
- felt: 2026-01-28
- wrote: 2026-01-31
- posted: 2026-04-07
- [tags](https://chromato.graphics/tags): [#arms](https://chromato.graphics/tags/arms)  [#communication](https://chromato.graphics/tags/communication)  [#fingers](https://chromato.graphics/tags/fingers)  [#hands](https://chromato.graphics/tags/hands)  [#long-distance](https://chromato.graphics/tags/long-distance)  [#love](https://chromato.graphics/tags/love)  [#machines](https://chromato.graphics/tags/machines)  [#numbers](https://chromato.graphics/tags/numbers)  [#phones](https://chromato.graphics/tags/phones)  [#sleep](https://chromato.graphics/tags/sleep)  [#sound](https://chromato.graphics/tags/sound)  [#sounds](https://chromato.graphics/tags/sounds)  [#voices](https://chromato.graphics/tags/voices)  [#💛](https://chromato.graphics/tags/%F0%9F%92%9B)