HOW IT USED TO BE
Those Automated Machines
a poem of nostalgia
I used to greet the bank teller who had alluring eyes
She’d reply from behind the counter with a cordial “Hi.”
Now, I stare before me an automated machine
Stuck are my small, frozen fingers touching the blank screen.
Oh, how I miss hearing you say,
“Miss, may you have a pleasant day!”
It used to be slow to pack and save
But now self-checkouts are all the rave.
With an item in one hand and a scanner in the other
Comes along a beep-beep tallying the whole lot together.
Oh, how sorely I miss those days hearing you say,
“There’s a dollar coupon, so you don’t have to pay.”
I am usually bewildered by the wait in line
Wanting to pick that favorite ice cream flavor of mine.
A spoonful of sampling of What’s this?
Plus a few licks of assorted bliss.
Oh, how I miss those days hearing you say,
“Would you care for some sweet toppings today?”
I noticed that I had to use all of these automated machines in a day’s outing! What do you think? Are we inconveniently make everything convenient? Will social interaction become rather nostalgic in the future?
