I’m Sure They’ll Have an App for That
by Gary Hardaway
Already they're taking away my books,
supplanting them with Kindles and Nooks.
Next, they'll take away my mail-
my letters, cards, and neatly printed paper trail.
Then, they'll take my checks and cash
and force me to use their digital trash.
When they take my coffee, smokes and booze
and substitute electrical shmoo
that tricks the brain and limits strokes,
I'll pack it in and pack it up-
all sensory spurs and palpable thought-
and let them deal with my stinking corpse.
I'm sure they'll have an app for that.
No Kindle. Never.
I am in love with books. They don't call e-readers "eee" for nothing! *
I have met two bibliophiles who truly like Kindle since you can carry a library in your hand and many classics can be loaded for free or next to nothing. E-books also make it plausible for writers to have the kind of independence that Radiohead exhibited with the online release of "In Rainbows".
"Caxtons are mechanical birds with many wings
and some are treasured for their markings—
they cause the eyes to melt
or the body to shriek without pain." (Craig Raine) - I like my birds with many wings, too.
I spend enough time staring at a screen as it is. I like the smell of a book...I digress...so, I really enjoyed reading this. I especially like that you broke the end rhymes - to great effect.
This is so simple and expert, says what we all think and really made me smile. The easy rhyme scheme and flow makes it like a technology nursery rhyme, which is kind of funny because I'm pretty sure this is anti-technology.
Thanks, Rachel. Thanks also for the quotation.
Emily, I like the notion of a technology nursery rhyme.
Technology can be a wonderful thing but also invasive and corrosive. And hypnotically addictive.
Right on Gary! I'm all over this! Even though I use all those tools and toys, I still love my books, tube guitar amps and we still even have (GASP!) - a land line! Sign me, Proud to Be a Fossil *