SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS .... Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBarkPoet
She wondered why she couldn't sleep - she woke up wrecked each morning,
on weekends seemed her eyelids closed just as the day was dawning,
the social isolation became somewhat of a worry
and every day it seemed to be just hurry, hurry, hurry.
The days were never long enough, despite the fancy trimmings,
the automatic washer, and the dishwasher....not winning.
The smart robotic vacuum did the floors all on its own;
she ordered shopping now on-line using her mobile phone.
The conversations with her kids had dwindled o'er the years -
three teenagers did not converse or relate to their peers.
Answering machines took messages - a link from home to home
at times she felt just a tad vexed, but no real cause to moan.
She often sat and pondered on the nuances of life
suspected that her husband had joys other than his wife.
She felt the pressure building as she struggled to hold on
to her grip of this technology which had never been strong.
She sometimes felt that she was disappearing through the cracks -
a gradual diminishment - a subtle cyber attack
caused by many phishing emails, and the scams now running rife
out there - each day a minefield, lack of vigilance caused strife.
'twas no wonder that she couldn't sleep, her head was in a whirl
and whilst she wasn't stupid she was still a 60's girl
who typed much too fast for Facebook - constantly they shut her out
claiming she must be a robot, and of that they had no doubt.
She'd learnt to type at High School - touch typing was then the go,
and the decades working in an office meant she wasn't slow
so whilst that had been an attribute - one of which she was proud
it now saw her quite singled out and expelled from the crowd.
She didn't need the spell-check thing - she knew orthography
No calculator was required, she'd learnt at Mother's knee
the three 'R's' that schooling required -an A grade student she ....
so why was it she now felt 'stretched' by this technology?
And why did it concern her so if cash she didn't carry?
And why was it she was finding life just a little scary?
And why was driving their new car to her a little daunting?
So much that she never drove far - curtailed her cavorting.
Increasingly she found that lunches with her female friends
meant little conversation - to the screens their heads would bend
as they checked on email messages, and Facebook connections
disregarding others in the room - careless of interjections.
It made the social scene a joke, she just no longer cared
to spend her time with people who of her were unaware
who could only converse by text with much adulteration
to the written words, all shortened - to her, just one more frustration.
She'd had enough - thought it was time to go on a retreat,
escape out to the country on her own to find her feet,
to get in touch with nature and get a reality check.
She doubted they would miss her.....and perhaps she won't come back.
5.8.2023
but hoping we can make it happen - if not it will be 10 years of hard work gone for nothing 
