the light switch flicks on
to bathe me in light
and will equally switch off
to plunge me into darkness
always obedient
never judgmental
totally dependable
the light switch never lets me down
patiently waiting
happy in either state
non discriminatory
welcomes anybody to operate it
then came the smart switch
voice operated by Alexa
void of human touch
this switch has a brain
to control its actions
but brains can be unreliable
they don’t always hear what is actually said
Alexa turn on the bedroom light I command
I don’t know that skill she answers
I tell her she is not so smart
she thanks me for the feedback
I start to curse Alexa
as she gives me really smart answers
but the light stays off
in desperation I unplug the smart switch
revert to manual control
the light switch lives again
forgiving my foray into the smart world
obeying every flick of my finger
without ever answering back
smarter than a smart switch
I love my light switch
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 