The Small Machine is Working Again

The small machine is working again.
The big machine is relieved,
but also jealous,
since it had been everyone’s choice
after taking over for the small machine.
Now all that extra attention was gone,
past lavishing on the big machine.

The small machine is modest
about returning to the workforce. “Don’t
fuss” is its message, gears in oiled motion
calibrated to succeed. By not breaking
down, it says, “Thank you for this opportunity,
you won’t bedisappointed,”
does its job discreetly.

Bigand small,
the machines work in tandem
toward mechanized fruition
of harmonious accord, each operating
to its ownstrength:
the big for big jobs, the small for small,
and in a pinch, one for all.

“Teamwork!”
they declare,
motors smoothly running, because
that’s what the users like to hear
and believe, convinced
such a philosophy applies
even to machines –
especially to machines.

 

Larry O. Dean

Larry O. Dean was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan, during which time he won three Hopwood Awards in Creative Writing. He is author of numerous chapbooks, including I Am Spam (2004), a series of poems “inspired” by junk email (his poems presented in this issue of WV? as well). In addition to writing, he is a singer-songwriter, performing solo as well as with several pop bands: The Injured Parties (current); Post Office (2001); The Me Decade (2002). Dean was a 2004 recipient of the Hands on Stanzas Gwendolyn Brooks Award, presented by the Poetry Center of Chicago.