the old radio

retired & waiting for the reaper

he keeps a radio playing all day

to fill the rooms of the house---

he doesn’t listen to a thing it has to say

but he enjoys the sound of people talking,

personalities that may not actually be in his own physical presence

or that he might never meet---

they still make him feel

as if his own world wasn’t closing in

completely,

as if the noose wasn’t being tightened slowly round his neck,

as if

the reaper wasn’t waiting just outside his window

sharpening the sickle blade

slowly &

the old radio isn’t an ipod, not an iphone, not a

smart gadget of any kind,

instead, it is a relic of the past

which only he remembers

which only he is left to ponder in this barren place

now that she is dead &

the dog, whom he thought would outlive him,

has left his side as well---

his only regret,

concerning the old radio,

of which he has relied upon for so many years

to keep him sane,

is that it runs on D batteries---

so ever so often he’s got to get in the truck &

make a trip out into civilization

where everything is so much louder &

the distraction is endless,

so that he can purchase the batteries

to put in the old radio

to fill the house with voices

to keep him sane

again.

 

Reviews

[Poeticpiers]

Out of date technology
Still serves its purpose
needing no apology
Ilove old fashioned radios.
Athough they run on batteries
They do reduce dependency
on mains electricity
Unlike new technology
which cannot work off batteries
I can listen when I please
Far from the city's grime and noise
I can still hear a human voice
when I choose to and rejoice

My memory goes back to crystal sets