20151017 (inanimate rebellion)

If you’re at all modern you soon

Will suffer what I call the day of

The batteries’ revenge I have five

Smoke alarms three door alarms

Batteries in my thermostat camera

Computer mouse watch flashlight

On which I depend to save my home

From fire break-in freezing cold

Photolessness surfing time deficiency

And dark at the last gasp of my

Keyboard I opted for a cabled unit

Which cost less gave me a number

Pad and didn’t require batteries for

Power in my fridge next to the lunch

Meat are five nine-volts and eighteen

Double A’s just in case four days ago

While enthroned I heard the nervous

Chirping of what only could be a

Sensor announcing its demise but 

After checking one smoke alarm to

Find it not in distress I checked the 

Next floor only to discover the sound

Was paradoxically fainter doubly 

Irritated as I had to fetch a ladder 

For the second high ceilings and no

Nearer the designedly provocative 

Sound I ended up playing cooler

Warmer until I found it chirping 

Once every five minutes what 

A waste to stand in anticipation 

Of the next inanimate signal

This time the side door alarm 

Whose batteries had last been

Replaced 9-14 I pulled the chamber

Open silenced the beast by 

Removing one of its four

Double A’s I promised to renew

Them after getting something else

Done the following day I was

Put upon by a similar chirping this 

Time the front door alarm silenced

Promptly with a minimum of fuss

9-14 but later that night in bed with

My varmints almost asleep a state

I’ve found harder to achieve

Came another chirp then silence I

Brushed it aside as my clock read

Only 01:13 I was still sleepy

Gave it a shot the next chirp

At 02:15 still sleepy I gambled 

Again lost at 03:30 wide awake 

For the hour luckily the ladder 

Close at hand I decided alarm 

Service at 03:45 why not 

Each was labelled 09-14 next

Year I shall inaugurate my first

Annual battery day don’t call me

I’ll be on a ladder somewhere in

The basement the attic first or

Second floor replacing all the 

Batteries before their first chirp

Lest I ever again lose precious

Sleep because it’s their time

c. J.S.Manista, 2015