Beautiful Person

I answered a call from an unknown number

Because when the ID says “Unknown”

It’s usually Grandma offering to take me to dinner

“Do you have some time to take a survey?”

It wasn’t Grandma.

“How much time?” I asked.

“It’s about ten minutes

but it can get toward twenty-five.

Depends on the person’s answers,

So I don’t want to say specifically.

You’d really be helping us out

because we only need one more survey

and we can all go home.”

That could have been a line

but if it was a line

It’s because he knows something about humans

When a chore becomes a favor

it’s no longer a chore

In one sentence I transformed

from Random Participant to Good Samaritan

“Sure,” I said, “I can do that.”

Twenty minutes later

I’d answered all the questions

He said, “Thank you so much.

You’re actually a beautiful person.”

And left me to figure out

How a moment

Goes from almost not answering the phone

To validating our existence

Worth missing Scattergories at Game Night

Maybe he found it sweet

That I would Strongly Consider

Giving up a kidney or part of my liver

For a family member

And Somewhat Consider the same for a stranger

I don’t know how often

The agency that checks for errors

in credit score calculations is accurate

But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt

And say Every Time

Maybe he agreed with my views

That Cosmopolitan Magazine isn’t appropriate for all ages

But I Strongly Disagree with actions to censor it

Or he liked my jokes

“How many cups of coffee do you drink per week?”

“Since I left Seattle, averaging zero!”

And, “Tell it to me straight, man.

Are you just using me to draft your short story?”

“No no,” he laughed, “I don’t even write the questions.”

“Alright,” I said, “I’m gonna write it then.”

The draft is coming along

It has two characters, yearning

Dialogue, direct and indirect

Tension that zooms in and out

I think I might add in somewhere

A phone survey operator

With a sense of humor

Who knows lots of things about humans
I answered a call from an unknown number