the second black out

Only headlights light Saint-Urbain Street this rush hour.
The power is out at dinnertime for the second time this week.
The leeks are soaking in their sauté oil, cold, on the electric stove.
At least I can’t see the potatoes turning brown in the dusk-kitchen.
I’m on a dial-up, so I could still get on-line on my laptop.
But we can’t watch the video we rented for the evening.
We can’t rent DVDs because our television is too old.
Even my umbrella got busted in the wind on the way home.
I think technology is slipping backwards, just a little bit.
. . . . .