Craig Kurtz: Appliances

Based on Philip K. Dick’s ‘Rushmore Effect’ from The Game Players of Titan.

Appliances, with shiny knobs —

they wake us up, they do our jobs;

computed to make life a breeze,

they won’t forget the antifreeze.

Appliances, with metal brains —

they steer our cars in flying lanes;

their batteries are our lifeline,

supposedly it’s all benign.

Appliances, they’re near and far —

they’re in our business like radar;

your vacuum cleaner’s on to you,

your toaster knows what you’re up to.

Appliances, with vocal sound —

they have our data, just press pound;

in fact, they blab it everywhere —

appliances, you see, don’t care.

And if neglected, running low,

they make a point to tell us so;

sometimes, it’s true, the old machines

will gripe if no one intervenes.

Appliances, as I recall,

are efficacious to install;

but having them cooperate,

they’re worse than people to update.