The Pros and Cons - Poem by Sophie Hannah

He’ll be pleased if I phone to ask him how he is.
It will make me look considerate and he likes considerate people.

He’ll be reassured to see that I haven’t lost interest,
Which might make him happy and then I’ll have done him a favour.

If I phone him right now I’ll get to speak to him sooner
Than I will if I sit around waiting for him to phone me.

He might not want to phone me from work in case someone hears
And begins (or continues) to suspect that there’s something
Between us.

If I want to and don’t, aren’t I being a bit immature?
We’re both adults. Does it matter, with adults, who makes the
First move?

But there’s always the chance he’ll back off if I come on too strong.
The less keen I appear, the more keen he’s likely to be,

And I phoned him twice on Thursday and once on Friday.
He must therefore be fully aware that it’s his turn, not mine.

If I make it too easy for him, he’ll assume I’m too easy,
While if I make no effort, that leaves him with more of a challenge.

I should demonstrate that I have a sense of proportion.
His work must come first for a while and I shouldn’t’ mind waiting.

For all I know he could have gone off me already
And if I don’t phone I can always say, later, that I went off him first.