Those Who Live in Grass Houses

Instruction Manual

Instruction Manual

Way back in the mists of time
software came in boxes,
marvellous things with opening tricks
to tease anticipation,
amazing with invention,
pull out these flaps
and bend this leaf,
extract the hidden lip
and box within a box,
the treasure’s slow revealed.

A floppy disk (remember those?)
or later a CDj
but more, oh joy and boundless glee,
a manual we see,
a solid tome, a pristine brick,
a slab of arcane knowledge;
‘tis all the weight and glory of
anticipation’s boon.

Now at pinnacle of expectation’s guile,
we riffle through the hallowed leaves,
brand new, untouched, and prime,
the smell, the feel, the bounty spread,
immersed we are and worshippers
of program’s vestibule.

No thought of loading digitalic discs
invades our blissful trance;
with reverent hands we lift the tome
and place it on the shelf,
amidst its fellows proudly tiered,
untouched, unread, but evidence
of honour new acquired.

And so we turn at last away,
excitement thus fulfilled,
and thoughts descend
to application loading
and binary life unfolding.


Line count: 36
Free verse
For PromptMaster! March Week 1 Prize Prompt
Prompt: The most exciting thing to find in an instruction manual.