Battery back-up

There was something almost magical about going to bed early last night.  As soon as I climbed under the covers to watch the storm through the bedroom window, the electricity went off.  Jeff has reminded me about the battery back-up on my clock radio every time this happens.  I know when it goes dark... we have no electricity. When the electricity comes back on, it resets to midnight, blinking, so I know it has reset itself.  I don*t think I*ll replace the batteries.  I don*t really use it to wake up in the morning.  My body seems pretty much set to wake up early.  I like waking in the middle of the night and knowing we*ve had power for fifteen minutes already.

Sometimes broken things

Don*t need to be fixed

Immediately

Maybe ever,

Or even batteries replaced.

I went to bed early last night

Teeth brushed

Pajamas donned

Slid under the covers

Clean sheets

Turned off the light

On the bedside table.

Lightning flashed

All the electricity went off.

Ah, power.

Whose power exactly

I can*t say

Except when I looked at the clock radio

Dark

I knew immediately

When it started flashing

I would know exactly how long

It had been on again.

Jeff keeps saying

He*ll replace my battery backup.

I like to know

Power gone

When I look in the middle of the night,

If it flashes 12:15,

Power returned

Fifteen minutes ago.

With the battery backup

I*d never know.

I like to know

When power returned.

Clean sheets

Teeth brushed

Under the covers,

I like to know

When power returned.

Sometimes broken things

Don*t need to be fixed

Sometimes batteries

Don*t need

To be replaced.