The phone's cacophonous rings

Dropped like pebbles to the floor.

- he didn't answer.

Alarmed they became,

More numerous, insistent.

A pause- hesitation, frightened doubt.

One more try. Ten rings. Twelve.

Fifteen. Still-

-he didn't answer.

Some time passed in silence.

A hummingbird drank long from the feeder.

Cars drove by the reflective picture window.

Then somebody knocked on the door

And again,

He didn't answer.

The knocking gave an encore,

Now genuinely- frantic. the door

Opened. Someone entered.

Oh. I understand now.

Of course he didn't answer.

All that time-

He was dead.