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Go Live Day

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Sheaves of stamps with perforated edges

Crumpled postal orders and giro books

Biros, jotters, paperclips and ledgers

Welcoming smiles and knowing, sideways looks

Parcels, diligence and calibration

Columns filled with calculator clicks

Ink stamps thud in rhythm with the nation

Lips seal envelopes with efficient licks

One day they came with boxes, drills and cable

“It’s time for change” wailed the HR orison

And below the weighing scales and tea ringed table

Lying, humming, blinking, black Horizon

To reboot, control and alt delete lives

Eighteen thousand screens, printers and hard drives

🌷(9)

posto officesonnethorizonpoliticstechnology

◄ Barista Blues

The Lion Queen ►

Comments

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Martin Peacock

Tue 4th Jun 2024 08:01

Nice one. The sonnet is such a playful, malleable format, isn't it? One of my favourites too. "To reboot, control and alt delete lives" is so apposite.

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Stephen Gospage

Thu 30th May 2024 07:24

A really fine poem, RA, with a John Betjeman flavour about it. You have mastered the sonnet form with this one!

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M.C. Newberry

Wed 29th May 2024 16:00

Today's Post office has taken one on its collective hooter,
With management dependent on the defective computer!

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R A Porter

Tue 28th May 2024 22:03

Thank you - I’m happy you think I captured something. Sonnets are tricky, but they do keep you concise & Post Offices always had their own rhythm, so maybe putting the two together wasn’t so daft after all (!)

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Reggie's Ghost

Tue 28th May 2024 16:41

Great stuff RAP, perfectly describes what life was like at the sharp end. Good rhyming, fitted well with the story.

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