December 28 is Call a Friend Day, and instead of (or in addition to) dialing, my little experiment today aims to turns a phone call into a poem. Think of it as leaving a message in verse: you speak, they’re silent, and all the unsaid things have to fit between the beeps

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Poetic Sundays: Leave a Friend a Voicemail … Poem

Sometimes you call someone because you really want to talk to them.
Instead, you reach their voicemail.

What do you do then?

And other days, calling a friend feels like too much—not because we don’t want to talk, but because we don’t know where to start. A voicemail, though, gives us space. No interruptions. No expectations. Just a voice, a pause, and whatever makes it through before the beep.

This week’s Poetic Sundays is an invitation to leave a message in verse—for a friend, for yourself, or for someone you’ve been meaning to call.

So What is a Voicemail Poem?

A voicemail poem is written as if you’re leaving a message on someone’s phone. It can include:

• A greeting or automated message
• You identifying yourself and the time of your call
• Short “bursts” of speech, with pauses or static
• A cut-off or “end of message” moment
• Or written in your choice

It’s part dramatic monologue, part letter, part tiny confession.

Your Voicemail Prompt Guide

Use this structure as a guide. You can write it in lines that look like poetry, or keep it closer to prose and let the voice do the work.

Automated greeting (1–2 lines)

Example: “You’ve reached the voicemail of ____. Please leave a message after the tone.”

This sets the stage and immediately makes it feel like a real call.

Identifying Yourself + More (1–2 lines)

Example: “Hey, it’s ___, calling on Sunday, December 28, sometime between the laundry and the grocery run.”

Mention the day or time so the moment feels specific.

Three “message bursts” (3–4 lines each)

After the beep, let your speaker talk in three little clusters of thought. Between them, add simple “stage directions” aka voicemail- to suggest pauses, silence, or interruptions – like below:

• beep — classic voicemail beep
• pause — short thinking pause
• static / backgroundnoise — ambiance

These bursts can hint at many things, including what the callee means to the caller, how long it’s been since they spoke, the thing the caller is trying (and maybe failing) to say directly, and more.

Cutoff or signoff (1 line or incomplete)

End with either:

• A classic machine tag: e n d o f m e s s a g e
• A sentence that cuts off mid-thought: “I just wanted you to know—”
• Or a goodbye/talk to you later

Who Can You Call?

Pick any “friend” for your message:

• A friend you haven’t spoken to in years
• A friend you text every day but never actually call
• A childhood friend you can’t find on social media
• A friend you see often, but there’s something you never talk about
• A future friend you haven’t met yet (a hopeful message into the void)
• A part of yourself you want to reconnect with (younger self, braver self, or tired-but-trying self)

Let the relationship shape the tone: tender, awkward, funny, apologetic, nostalgic, or even a little annoyed

Tips for Writing

• Use spoken language. Ramble, correct yourself, double back — just like a real voicemail.
• Let silences speak. Pauses can hold laughter, hesitation, or unshed tears.
• Drop small details. A street name, coffee order, habit — one or two specifics make it real.
• Aim for one unsent truth. Something never said out loud: “I’m angry.” “I miss you.” “I forgive you.” “I’m scared we’re drifting.” “I’m proud of you.”
• For inspiration, check out Voicemail Poetry at The Poetry Foundation (I saw this after I came up with the idea but found it a very cool project), and also these poems about voicemails in general.
• More ideas for you. You can also leave a voicemail poem that:
  • runs a little long
  • forgets why it called
  • laughs at itself
  • includes a mundane detail (a missed bus, cold tea, mismatched socks)
  • or says I called simply because…

My Voicemail Attempt

Sunday Voicemail to you
You’ve reached the voicemail of __.
To leave a message, wait for the beep
beep
Hey, it’s me—
um, calling in between chores I should be doing,
the dishes, the laundry, all of it, honestly.
And this song just—
it popped into my head out of nowhere,
and I couldn’t stop humming it,
like, at all…
and, I had to…
pause
I had to call.
So I stopped.
Mid–sud-soaked hands.
I mean, I turned the water off first—
but still….
you see, I had to call.
I had to see if you’d remember it too
That song we sang that spring,
on the way to school—
which was annoying, I know,
but also kind of perfect?
Earworms.
Sorry (:-))
pause
Anyway—
here I am, leaving a voicemail instead,
which figures…
I am going to sing the first line,
my voice is rusty,
but, well, it always was,
so maybe it sounds exactly the same
Um—
okay.
Here I go….
end of message beep
~Vidya @ LadyInReadWrites

Recently

On My Blog and At Home

My recent posts since and including my last Sunday Scribblings:

• The Infinite Magic of Mathematics: Srinivasa Ramanujan and Stories That Inspire
• Sunday Scribblings #240: Twas the Night Before No-L Day

We ended up staying at home after canceling our trip to NO at the last minute (almost) due to many reasons. But in the end, it was all for the better. This meant we caught up with family at a get-together we initially had said we cannot attend, and that was heart-warmingly wonderful.

Upcoming

On My Blog and Home Front

And continuing that thought from earlier, we will be catching up with more friends and family as well, so all in all, staying home is great…..and I am glad to have my family here so we can all welcome the new year together.

As for the blog, I hope to get in a couple of posts at least.

This Week’s Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)

• Literary birthdays this week include: Rudyard Kipling on the 30th of December; Holbrook Jackson, Junot Díaz, and Nicholas Sparks on the 31st of December; E.M. Forster, J.D. Salinger, Olivia Goldsmith on January 1st; Isaac Asimov on January 2nd; J.R.R. Tolkien and Cicero on January 3rd; Natalie Goldberg, Gao Xingjian, Harlan Coben, and Isaac Newton on the 4th of January
• January 2nd is National Science Fiction Day (for it is Isaac Asimov’s birthday!)
• Followed by JRR Tolkien Day on the 3rd of January
• Then it is World Braille Day on the 4th. Did you also know that it is National Trivia Day as well?!!

Foodie Celebrations

• Dec 29th is Pepper Pot Day
• Followed by National Bicarbonate of Soda Day on the 30th
• Next up on the 31st, it is National Champagne Day
• While the 1st observes National Bloody Mary Day
• And the 2nd brings sweetness with National Cream Puff Day
• More sweetness on January 3rd for it is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day and Fruitcake Toss Day
• National Spaghetti Day is celebrated on the 4th of January

Other Celebrations

• The 29th is Still Need to Do Day (after all, it is the end of the year almost, when we remember the resolutions we made at the start!) and Tick-tock day as well. And International Cello Day
• Next up are other quirky observations on the 30th – the Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute, and National Resolution Planning Day!!
• December 31st brings with it Make Up Your Mind Day and it is also (obviously) New Years Eve and No Interruptions Day
• January 1st is of course New Year’s Day, and it is also World Day of Peace
• Followed by Motivation and Inspiration Day, World Introvert Day on the 2nd of January
• And Jan 3rd is International Mind-Body Wellness Day as well as Women Rock! Day
• Followed by National CanDo Day on the 4th

Some more things for the coming week and month

• The first week of January is Celebration of Life Week and New Year’s Resolutions Week!
• January is National Hot Tea Month (I am working towards more herbal teas), National Oatmeal Month, National Soup Month (need to learn easy healthy quick vegetarian soups – any and all suggestions are welcome)
• It is also National Hobby Month and National Braille Literacy Month

Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. And do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month?

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon