The FAB&PP Poem of the Month for August 1996
| 1. The computer simulates death quite nicely the hidden language gates the riddles of its failures with traps and segments and address es I press reset and pray the disk light stays solid the seeking silence ominous the screen as black as my memory of the last disaster I hit the big switch and wait a few (but not enough) seconds later it comes on the disk light glares again no search no bootstrap the monitor blinks its yellow light waiting for a mating call power down wait again be patient |
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2. horror on the next resume the awful sound the coded beeps that last meant motherboard demise "What is killing it" I screech into the afternoon "Why is it a Saturday again?" 3. With resignation I disassemble, look for wires, press the chips prop up the box and tighten the connectors shaving plastic from the one that is a bit off-line chanting to the gods I hit the master switch observe the spinning fans (all three) and hear the static crackle of the monitor, incredulous, I stare; the glowing phosphors revealing text and memory once more alive "Previous re-boot incomplete, press F2 for setup" I choose F1 "Continue" |
July 27, 1996