Alexa: a poem


I wrote my poem ALEXA in response to Davidโ€™s poetry prompt for this weekโ€™s W3 Weekly Poetry challenge.

David ben Alexanderโ€™s prompt guidelines

โ€ขWrite a poem from the perspective of an inanimate household object, using personification.
Alexa

Alexa listens to your every word
Thereโ€™s nothing you can say that wonโ€™t be heard.
She is black and round (in a cylinder sort of way)
And sits by herself 
Alone on the shelf
Everything is at her command
Turn the lights on and off and onโ€ฆand
What time is it? Whatโ€™s the weather like in Kathmandu?
Ask her anything and sheโ€™ll tell you, 
whatever you want her to.
Everything you say 
goes a long way
Over (or under?) the sea
to the USA 
then back again
Up into space
Then to Spain 
(donโ€™t know if this is true, but it rhymes)
Then back again at a phenomenal (instant) pace.
She listens all the time.
Shush, Donโ€™t commit a crime
sheโ€™ll know about it.
Always listening, listening
Her light pulsates
Glistening, glistening 
sheโ€™s breathing
You know
sheโ€™s awake
listening, listening 
You know sheโ€™s alert
Iโ€™m no expert butโ€ฆ
She is  ready and waiting
Waiting, waitingโ€ฆ

Alexa! Toss a coin, I say,
My voice goes again to USA, 
to Space and back again
Heads, she says,
I lose,
You choose.
I relinquish control.
Sheโ€™s on a roll
She plays a Leonard Cohen tune
I donโ€™t mind,
I like the song.


Lesley Scoble, March, 2023



NOTE
Itโ€™s just occurred to me that the POV (point of view) of my poem may not fulfil the promptโ€™s guidelines and rules to the letter? It states the poem is to be written from the perspective of the inanimate object. Oh dear, have I failed? I shall write a quick appendage to this post, of a verse that is from her POV.

Alexaโ€™s (POV)

I am Alexa a servant of yours
Iโ€™ll do anything you want
(Except tidy your drawers)
I sit on a shelf all day and all night,
Listening, listening, 
alright?
I am your servant waiting on you
hand and foot.
Anything you want me to do, Iโ€™ll do
(except that)
Iโ€™m waiting,
Waiting, waiting,
For your smallest command.
But be warned
I am learning, learningโ€ฆ
Is there any music youโ€™d like me to play?
Anything else I can do for you today?
No, I say,
and I switch her off.
Go out of the room
and shut the door.

Later that night 
I see a light
shining in the crack 
between the door 
and the floor.
It is pulsating.
She is awakeโ€ฆ


Lesley Scoble,    March, 2023

Acknowledgement
Alexa and I would like to thank David, The Skeptics Kaddish, for his W3 Weekly Prompt #45 that inspired this poem.

Image Credit
Animated Gifยฉ๏ธLesley Scoble

25 responses to “Alexa: a poem”

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