Madam and the Phone Bill

 by Langston Hughes     You say I O.K.ed     LONG DISTANCE？     O.K.ed it when？     My goodness， Central     That was then！     I'm mad and disgusted     With that Negro now.     I don't pay no REVERSED     CHARGES nohow.     You say， I will pay it     Else you'll take out my phone？     You better let     My phone alone.     I didn't ask him     To telephone me.     Roscoe knows darn well     LONG DISTANCE     Ain't free.     If I ever catch him，     Lawd， have pity！     Calling me up     From Kansas City.     Just to say he loves me！     I knowed that was so.     Why didn't he tell me some'n     I don't know？     For instance， what can     Them other girls do     That Alberta K. Johnson     Can't do——and more， too？     What's that， Central？     You say you don't care     Nothing about my     Private affair？     Well， even less about your     PHONE BILL， does I care！     Un-humm-m！ . . . Yes！     You say I gave my O.K.？     Well， that O.K. you may keep     But I sure ain't gonna pay！