The POTW: Verse Til It Hurts

<< PREV

POTW #835
(Week of 7 April, 2013)
NEXT >>
Administrative note: Phrenopolis is about to move to new servers! Do not panic, this sort of thing goes on all the time on the internet. Things to be aware of:

If you read these poems on the web page, you will probably not notice the server change at all.

If you use any kind of RSS Reader (like Google Reader, NewsBlur, Feedly, Flipboard, etc) to look at blogs and so on, this week I added a subscription button to the poem page! (Oh good, just in time for Google Reader to become extinct.)

If you're getting the poem by email, you may notice some changes and/or disruptions as I will be altering the way these are sent out. I'll try to keep it as smooth as possible, and apologize in advance for any trouble. If there's a week when you don't see a poem, try checking the web page.

Speaking of which: Is it possible that there is anyone on the list at all who reads the poems by email on a device which does not also have a web browser? If that is true for you, tell me about it.

Anyway, a neat thing about moving a web site to a new server is that it doesn't change anything about how readers get there - kind of like moving your house across the country but keeping your address. And that got me thinking about moving and contact information in general, which is where this week's poem came from. Remember when you actually had to know people's phone numbers?

I Remember Numbers

I still remember numbers
Once it was required
My mind remains encumbered
Although the milk's expired

I often carry pocket change
I used to put it into phones
The spinning circles now seem strange
The humming of the dial tone

I can calculate by hand
Albeit rather poorly
I need not strain my thinking gland
The gadgets do it for me

Yes, I remember digits
So did my father's father
But now with all these storage widgets
You don't have to bother

Machines that leave us free to ponder
Extra space inside the head
A shelf that numbers need not squander...
But passwords fill it up instead

Copyright © 2013 by Dave Grossman

Permanent link to this entry: http://www.phrenopolis.com/poem/index.php?p=835

Subscribing:

The POTW has been on hiatus for a few years now, but you never know when I might pick it back up again. If you use a blog reader of some sort, you can add the poem to it using This Link. Or, if you like, you can have the POTW sent to you by email every week (it's FREE). With our high-tech automated system, all you have to do is send an email to subscribePOTW@phrenopolis.com from the mail account where you want to receive it, and we'll put you on the list. You will receive a confirmation by email, although it may take a while as the automated subscription process is quite complex and arcane. (You can see just exactly how complex and arcane it is by taking our guided tour.)

No strings are attached. No salesmen will visit your home. No spam will occur. Your privacy will be vigorously protected. If you have questions, consult the FAQ.

Buy This Book:

Interested in more? Check out "Ode to the Stuff in the Sink," Dave's illustrated book of "guy" verse (concerning the deeper philosophies of things like not doing the laundry, putting your feet on the furniture, and of course beer) at the Maximegalomporium (our store). And did I mention it was illustrated? Pictures!

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?:

Like any self-respecting citizen of the modern age, I use machinery.

Other Frequently Asked Questions:

Consult the POTW FAQ.