dVerse Q249 — Living History

Image link
Living History

Remember when
you put the horn
to your ear;

attached to a cord
that attached to
a cabinet?

Remember cranking
a handle to reach
an operator;

where you talked
through a tube
in the front?

If you remember,
you may consider
yourself vintage also.


I am today’s host for dVerse’ Quadrille Monday, where I ask you to write a 44-word poem using the word horn or some derivation of it.

8 Comments Add yours

  1. kim881's avatar kim881 says:

    I’m not old enough to remember a phone with a horn, my family didn’t have a phone until the 1970s and we had to use a public telephone, but I remember party lines, and talking to the operator, arranging a reverse charge or long-distance call, all of which the young people of today can’t imagine! I enjoyed this poem, Lisa, and consider myself (bohemian, hippy) vintage nonetheless – I’ll be 70 in August!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lisa or Li's avatar Lisa or Li says:

      We had rotary dialers with the first 2 digits as letters. We also had party lines. I do remember finding one of those phones attached to a pole out back next to the railroad tracks, inside of a box.

      Thanks on the poem, Kim. You and I are close in age. And yes, I consider myself vintage also :)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. kim881's avatar kim881 says:

        My pleasure, Lisa. Vintage poets unite.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. I do not remember those one… but I do remember the receiver ones…. before we talked instead ot talking. I think there might have been operators once, but I only remember company switchboards.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lisa or Li's avatar Lisa or Li says:

      My very first job with the county government was as a switchboard operator. Even the rotary dialers are vintage now. How time is moving along…

      Like

  3. rog's avatar rog says:

    i remember the rotary dial on my mums first phone. and the sound it made always got me excited.

    Like

  4. I’ve seen these old phones in museums. I never had the privilege of using one of these gadgets. This was a fun challenge, Lisa. 💜

    Like

  5. rothpoetry's avatar rothpoetry says:

    I did not go back quite that far, but my wife does! We did have black bake-o-lite phones with rotary dials and party lines! I guess I am pretty vintage!

    Like

Your thoughts matter.