Friendly Assistance

>>> Two short and a Long, our phone,<> (All others were for 'listening In')<> Sort of like, how God Works. <<<

Friendly Assistance
By Arley Steinhour 030117

On farm, we got a new telephone,
That mostly, just hung on the wall,
In the middle of the 'No Kids Zone,'
Hung High, so only adults could call.

Many on same line, to ring direct,
Cranked, 'longs and shorts,' for 'ring-code,'
In case of emergency, or to elect,
Another line, Operator handled the load.

It would take a while, to call the 'Coast,'
Calls were expensive, when long- distance,
With sound so bad, twas like talking to a Ghost,
Back in them days, we got 'Friendly Assistance.'

Made of White Oak, with Battery and Magnet,
That's back in the Forties, after the War,
Loved that old Phone, looked like a Cabinet,
Folks 'listened in,' to know, the Gossip Score.

The house, in town, had a black phone,
Next to front door, at the 'phone carrel,'
Dial, not invented, Operator was alone,
With 'Number P'leez,' sounding so Swell.

Made of black plastic, not pretty, at all,
In Nineteen-Forty, that phone was installed,
First, on the block, with new folks to Call,
Three bucks a month, had Grandma Enthralled.

Neighbors would come, to borrow our phone,
Grandma, indulged them, for what they said,
Their thanks meant a lot, to her, all day, alone,
Grandpa worked twelve hour days to give us a bed.

The phone that we got, on the farm, the best,
Lot's to listen to, and Quality plus Beauty,
When folks live miles apart, with phone, we are blessed,
No matter the problem, Help there, no one Snooty.

AMEN