Sheena Sarah Winny, Poetry 2022 Longlist

Half-dead


On hitting the keys,
the device fell asleep
on a lazy afternoon
with no response to “wake up”.

I regained sense to restart and reload;
nothing worked – scepticism prevailed.
Plunged into reverie to while away the time -
thoughts gorged on my mind; ambush expected.

Savvy and naïve, I started the repair,
paused to see if there is life.
Perception regressed,
hope prevailed, fingers dynamic.

The blue screen grinned at me; codes alien
shimmered their way to the edges of oblivion.
Adventure started, spirits rose, determined
to drive home the rhythm of recovery.

Ignorant of the beep, I
swayed the board
to check the tempo and
the beat of a half-dead being.

Wasn’t it me?