The Call Poem by John F. McCullagh

We must have picked up the call at the same time
I heard my wife answer the phone.
The voice was a friend but the words that he said
were intended for her ears alone.

I stood in stunned silence and feeling betrayed
at the words that I heard over the phone.
There was worse yet ahead, those three words she said;
'I love you.' made me feel so alone.

Things hadn't been good, this much I understood.
Passions can fade over time.
Daily life's dull routine never matches the dream,
But I'd thought it no cause for alarm.

'I Love You. She said, but not for my ears.
I had not heard them for some time.
How could I miss the perfunctory kiss?
cold leftovers at dinner time.

I hung up the receiver, did they hear a click?
I wonder how long she'd have lied?
My only thought then was which one I'd kill first
And could it look like suicide.