The no voltage poems 1 in a series of 5. Orange

the lights are on across the street

when is it gonna be my turn

are they prettier or

do they pay their bills quicker than me

i've never hated a porch light more

there used to be a time

when all i needed was

a ball, a glove, and a big sliver of wood

the ballpark was across the street

we never needed any lights

today i was awakened by the news

not dependent on alarms or TV

it makes most sense to sleep

but i can't

i watch my batteries drip away

i keep watching the lights

flipping lights out of habit

all day long an orange light brightens and fades

the blackness of reflection contrasts with the wasting light

i put my left hand fingers on my forehead and...

Reviews

[Marie Harrison]

there used to be a time
when all i needed was
a ball, a glove, and a big sliver of wood
the ballpark was across the street
we never needed any lights

I know it takes so much more of us
to keep those lights on. Playing baseball
and hanging out was so much fun.
But ever that grows old after awhile.

I liked your poem. I can relate to
not having to use alarms to wake up
anymore.