Startled by the alarm clock’s shrill cries,
Knocking onto the doors of my
Peaceful,
Restful,
Dream-filled consciousness –
Forcing me into a sluggish stupor,
And eventually into a wide-eyed wakefulness
For the rest of the day.
I go to the kitchen,
Fix myself a toast and microwave
Some eggs and a cappuccino.
I turn on the TV,
Check out
The latest satellite-derived weather forecast,
And catch up
With local, national, and international news.
Before rushing out the door,
I turn on the security alarm home system, and
Out I go,
Ready to face another workday
With the same complacency
And certainty one feels
When one’s life is mapped out
With the predictability and routine
Of modern technology.
On the way to work,
I encounter an accident downtown,
Spurring me to whip out my cell phone
And inform the office that I will be
Late for the morning meeting.
Hours later,
My day at work is spent,
As usual,
At my desk,
Researching and editing with the help
Of the Internet and word processor,
And later on,
Videoconferencing with other colleagues
In Paris and London.
I look at my wristwatch.
It is five o’clock, and,
Glad the workday is over,
Tiredly drive back home
Where I turn off the alarm system,
Heat up a can of soup
On the electric stove,
And watch Jeopardy on TV.
After, I decide to catch up on
My e-mail and correspond with family
And friends through instant messaging
Around the globe.
I decide to relax a bit with a CD by Mozart.
Later, at bedtime, I put on the radio,
As always,
And set the classical music station
To play for half an hour –
About the time it takes
For me to fall asleep.
Part Two
…..Yawn – I wake up after
What seems to be days……
The intense bright rays of the sun, waking
Me up, prompt me to grope at the nightstand for my alarm clock.
Strange - it’s not working!
The digital clock displays a blinking 12:00 a.m.
Holding my battery-run wristwatch up to my myopic eyes,
I read the time as 8:40 a.m.
I gasp in panic,
Realizing I only have twenty minutes left
To shower,
Dress up,
Eat breakfast,
And make that twenty minute commute into
A five minute Grand Prix expedition.
I shower quickly, dress into my shirt, blazer and skirt,
And frantically comb my hair and apply lipstick on my
Way to the kitchen.
I try to reheat some coffee and a leftover donut in the
Microwave, only to encounter the red, impersonal, digital time display
Innocently blinking at me.
“!@#$%&* this power outage!” I think in despair, as I
Run out the door,
Briefcase and purse in hand.
I get in the car, speed down the neighborhood, and decide to
Inform my office of my delay –
No doubt they will understand –
Maybe this power outage was in the neighborhood
And not only at my house….
... “What?!” I cry in disbelief.
The cell phone is not working:
The dead, gray blank screen reflecting my outraged face.
But the worse is yet to come –
Two blocks ahead, the traffic light is down,
Causing major disarray, mayhem, and confusion.
And that is not the only light down either.
In the city of New York all the roads are one big mess of tangled
Cars angrily honking at each other.
Suddenly, a car sneakily cuts in front of me.
Furious by now, I pound away at my car’s horn.
I drive across an intersection testily, stoplights still awry,
And next thing I know,
“BEEEEEP BEEP BEEEEP!”
………BAM!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darkness all over.
Thick as a cloudless, moonless night,
The blackest china ink,
The deepest well….
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Three
“What the…?!”
I wake up startled, my heart pounding hard in my chest.
I automatically turn my head to my nightstand.
The time says 8:30 a.m. on my (functioning) digital alarm clock.
Anxiously I turn on the TV for news of the outage.
What happened?
And when?
The TV anchor delivers the news in his usual
Deliberate and professional manner……
But no news of a power outage,
Neither in New York City, statewide, or nationwide.
Was it just a dream then?
Shaking like a leaf, my sense of reality tested,
I laugh deliriously.
That dream was too surreal, yet vivid and real
At the same time.
I suddenly stop and muse on this thing called
Technology
- A backbone of society, industrialization, progress, and culture.
Modern man’s blessing and curse!
« return.