"Dusting the Phone" was written by contemporary Scottish poet Jackie Kay and appears in her 1993 collection Other Lovers. As the poem's speaker waits by the phone, desperate to hear from a lover, they can't help but imagine "the worst." The speaker fantasizes nervously about their future with their beloved, alternating between visions of catastrophe and marriage, and dotes on the phone as though it were a distinguished guest. With humor and choppy, anxious language, the poem playfully captures the doubt and uncertainty of new love.
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I am spending ...
... tell? Nobody knows.
The future is ...
... sheets. Forget tomorrow,
You say, don't ...
... together, re-read them.
This very second ...
... for your call.
Infuriatingly, it sends ...
... lonely cotton sheets.
I am trapped ...
... don't know what.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
About Jackie Kay — Learn more about Kay's life and listen to the poet read some of her work aloud.
Kay as Scotland's Makar — Read an interview in which Kay discusses what it means to serve as Scotland's Makar (Poet Laureate).
Jackie Kay Out Loud — Watch Kay a video of Kay reading six of her poems.
Kay in Conversation — Check out a conversation between the poet and Nicola Sturgeon, the current First Minister of Scotland.