The day the phone broke
Lois awoke sunlight streaming in and was puzzled at first
She remembered setting the alarm perhaps she missed the tone
She swiped to the left with her finger and then cursed
Swiped again but the screen remained black on the phone
Two more swipes and now she began to fear the worst
The phone was broken and suddenly she felt all alone
She gasped and panic began to set in as her world fell apart
How would she know if she had new followers and more likes
Now terrified Lois felt the increase in the beat of her heart
What would happen to those messages sent to her in the night
Would she lose all her photos if she attempted a restart
The tears flooded from her eyes as hope began to take flight
Now she was fearful of what HE might think if she was not there
What if that special photo he had asked for did not appear
How could she post knowing she had no more pictures to share
Now she felt completely terrified and trapped in her own sphere
Her life was beginning to crumble leaving her in a state of disrepair
Her whole existence and meaning in a moment seemed to disappear
She dressed and went outside to stamp about on the lawn
Crushing dandelions and daisies without a second thought
This was the first time she had stepped into the garden at dawn
She noticed a silvery web where a wasp had been caught
There was a fragrance in the air to which she was drawn
Pink and white sweet peas climbing canes for support
She took a walk by the canal to help her pass the time
Suddenly she was startled by a voice that said ‘Hello’
She looked away very quickly as if it were a crime
To respond to a real live person that you really did not know
This was an invitation from a stranger and she had to decline
She hurried along quickly deciding it was time to go
Walking a little further an old couple stopped to say ‘Hi’
Asking her ever so politely ‘How is your day going?’
They were surprised when she responded a tear in her eye
Yet a few moments later her confidence was growing
She quickly forgot about the phone that had decided to die
Within minutes she was part of a conversation that was flowing
A narrow boat passed by and they talked about the history
The days of king cotton how the wakes weeks held pride
Their words were kindly spoken with an air of felicity
The couple had a boat at the marina ‘Would she like a ride?’
She agreed feeling the excitement of exploring a mystery
A trip with her new friends who were going to act as a guide
Her phone was repaired but Lois continued to walk
Each day as she walked she seemed to find a new friend
Lois had found real people with whom she could talk
More meaningful than text messages that came to an end
She had entered the beauty of a new world without the orc
Where the people were real and Lois did not have to pretend
Copyright: David Hopcroft September 2023