I have no idea, but I love it. There is something in it for me to relate to. Stories behind certain poems are always interesting to learn but I interact with most poetry in assessing how they make me feel and how I can relate to them. This one really hit me hard the first time I read it...still does, actually.

The narrator is a woman though, so I'd assume that the person calling out another woman's name is a man. Perhaps they've split because of infidelity. But yes, I'd assume Bernice is some important female figure to the narrator.