The Cloud

 it was time to get a new notebook computer, I thought
it was ten in the morning the Power Mac Center looked desolate
but I always loved their minimalist interiors
sterile, like a bleeding edge hospital
I scanned the shop for the notebooks and found them
a row of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lovely
and I already knew what I wanted so it didn’t take long
the MacBook Pro 13, I lifted it to test the weight
a pallid young man walked towards me and smiled
it was quick and easy, he answered my questions
okay, I said, I’ll get this one
at the cashier it took a while, the girls were sleepy
then the young man appeared again
he asked me to join him for a bit of orientation
it was a small room at the end of the shop
he took out the MacBook and started it up
began the registration process into something
called The Cloud
it was quick and easy, and
I was home by eleven
since then people had wondered about the
cadaverous look on my face, and I felt
alive only when I was using my computer
it was several weeks later that I realised
what happened
the young man was stern and methodical, took my hand,
tied a piece of rubber around my upper arm and
palpitated my vein, jabbed the needle and drew blood
then emptied the syringe into a plastic hose
attached to the notebook computer
into The Cloud
what happened?


nb. written for my teenage nephew