POEM
My Old Calculator30 December 2011 |
|
Tell you how I feel about my calculator—
I washed off its sad old plastic
gone grimy and nicked. Cleaned out the corrosion
from a battery gone bad. Used WD 40 just to be sure
it would get working again, not just
decrepit incomplete zeros in a row,
because my calculator, let me tell you, has
been faithful to me for over twenty years.
I have lost some friends over that time span
but here is this stupid machine, making me think of them,
remember when I was a young pup spitting out my first
budget, manager of a profit center, big fucking deal.
So the little weighty machine has done time with me,
and I must honor its age. After I scrubbed its front
and sides, and peeled away some old scotch tape
that held the door shut to its batteries,
and put fresh batteries in, I flipped the switch
and bingo! a neon green zero!
|
||
Related Posts |
Patricia, I have been gravitating toward a lot of the poetry on TNB lately. I loved your poem. I often have difficulty explaining exactly why I love a particular poem, but I know when I like one and when I don’t. So there you go. I liked yours. Thanks.
Thanks for the response, Pete. No need to explain. It is good to hear from you.
What a terrific poem & reading it on New Year Day here in Hong Kong brings a special meaning!
A fine, timely poem. The Markert magic continues!
Happy new year to you both! Thanks for reading.
Love,
Patty
That “bingo” sure makes “zero” sing!
Beautifully observed and paced. The tonal switches are beguiling. Congrats on writing the poem, and then publishing it!