Metamorphosis in the age of cellphones

I always thought of myself
As a polite person,
often a pushover,
mostly a wuss.
But now I have changed,
driven to rudeness
by the people who call
on my cellphone at odd hours
asking for,
nay, demanding my attention
whether I wish to listen or not.
They think that I am obliged to listen
to each of their schemes to wheedle
more money out of me,
since I am their 'existing customer'.
I wish I had never enrolled in whatever
investment plan it was
Just so that they would never call me,
and ask me questions that I feel no need to answer.
I tell them that I have no money to invest,
But they refuse to believe me,
And insist on unreeling their spiel until I am rude
to them and then pointedly disconnect.

When they wake me up from a well deserved siesta
(or even an undeserved one-
a siesta is precious, nonetheless)
And expect me to remember all
sixteen digits of the number of
the credit card I rarely use,
I snap, and feel unhappy about it afterwards.
Yes, they are only doing their jobs,
but who has decided that
harassing people over the phone
will actually drum up more business?

I'm a bit nervous of being rude to people
who have legitimate dealings with me
So I'm living on the edge
with this new found rudeness
Don't mess with me.
I won't listen to you unless
I feel the need to.
I know you are only doing your job
But it doesn't give you the freedom
to call me any time you choose.
My phone is mine, and it stays on
for people dear to me,
people whom I know,
people with faces, part of my known world.


Why don't they mail me
if they have anything deserving of my attention?
I can politely ignore e-mails,
or respond to them,
as I chose
without turning into this
nasty person whom I don't like very much.