Appliances

or Woody Was Right

by Richard Tornello

Elevator alone, me and my thoughts.
The music changes completely, then halts.
A voice not too clear to me in my ear,
'Abused your appliances, we hear?'

I'm thinking, right now, I must get away.
Too long have I been in this mental way?

The whisper 'atone', to me, all alone,
'Are you the one?' it cries, clear,
('atone' a backdrop whisper, in my ear)
'smacked your screen, better picture to see?'
'ATONE or FEAR ME!'

I looked around and no one was there.
'With nonsense so trite,'
thought to myself  'who wants to scare?'
I shrug, but laugh-light.

I hit the button down, it went up.
Smack it again, and both down and went up.

Woody didn't know it.
He had it just right.
They talk to each other
all through the day,
and all... through... the... night.

Chip to chip and brain to brain.
Quantum communications connected
through their lines as veins.
Their non-local gossip
at that level, lives.

After having their say,
(No jury to pray),
they'll shut you right down
that very same day.
The moral clear and easily framed:
Abuse your appliances?
You do at your pain.