Poetry from Judith Roney

Photo: Alexander Andrews

Confirmation Number

The Verizon associate
…………who had a thick accent

took my credit card number,
…………the expiration date

and the three numbers
…………on the back of the card

that seem to carry so much weight
…………you can’t buy food without them.

The monthly bill for two phones
…………and an Apple watch

was $299.85. I asked Tatiana
…………if she remembered when all phones

had cords that plugged into a wall,
…………but she was too young

for reminiscing. After she placed me on hold
…………she came back on the line

to tell me my confirmation number:
…………854937158952209875

I wrote it down on a piece of paper
…………that I’ll never staple to the bill

but I don’t know why I wrote it down
…………since another associate

once told me those long numbers
…………they give us like lifelines

or proof we existed on a certain day and time
…………don’t really mean a thing.
.

.

Judith Roney’s fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in numerous publications. “Field Guide for a Human” was a finalist in Gambling the Aisle’s chapbook contest, and “Waiting for Rain” won an honorable mention from Two Sylvias Press Poetry Collection contest. Her poetry collection, According to the Gospel of Haunted Women, received the 2015 Pioneer Prize. She confesses to an obsession with the archaic and misunderstood, dead relatives, and collects vintage religious artifacts and creepy dolls. When not playing with dolls, she teaches creative writing at the University of Central Florida, and is assistant poetry editor for The Florida Review.