November 30, 2014 | Ian Bland | Leave a comment The theme for this week’s JVG Radio Method poem is “Machines“. Thanks to Dave Evans for his excellent backing on the show To play this poem directly in your browser – just click the “play” button below:[audio:JVG_Poem20141130.mp3] Machines It began with a shard of bone A jagged stone A rock with a sharpened edge A simple wedge The first machine Then, the rock began to roll A gentle stroll A rolling stone A complete unknown No direction home Slowly on, two million years Axes, knives, flint and spears Rounded stones to grind the meal Epiphany – we had the wheel! The pace picked up, no time to lose Levers, pulleys, axles, screws Winches, gears, barrows, cranes Catapults, sails and chains Come the industrial revolution A golden age – forget pollution Steam engine, Cotton Gin Power Loom, Straight Pin Spinning Jenny, Mechanical Reel Horseless Carriage, automobile Woollen Mills, canned food Locomotive, corkscrewS Assembly lines and submarines Cometh the hour cometh the machine Buttons, handles, valves and knobs Give them all the dirty jobs Machines are here to do our bidding Mechanical slaves? Who are we kidding? Refined, faster, smarter, sleeker They grew stronger, we grew weaker Till finally, machines, ascendant We, their masters, now dependent They cut our hair, clean our teeth Body art and pain relief Iron your shirt, press your suit Don’t forget your parachute Chop down trees, cut your keys Nip and tuck and oil and grease The bus, the car, the tram, the train On your bike, board your plane Clothes pegs, piano hinges Safety pins and syringes Zip your fly, lock the doors Fight our wars and keeps the scores Recline your chair, close the gates Vacuum pools, wash the plates They even match us up for dates There’s nothing they can’t do Pepper Grinder, Beach Umbrella Boat propeller, Auto Teller Around the block or interstellar Machines, machines, machines Print assignments, fry the chips Pacemakers, plastic hips Stents and intravenous drips We’re dead without machines Cut the lawn, pop your corn Ring your bell or blow your horn From the moment that we’re born Reliant on machines They Juice, Rout, Propel and Mash Crush, Destroy, Explode and Slash Staple, Sharpen, Freeze, Subtract Harvest, Weld, Record, Compact Bind, Wind, Grind and Lay Weigh and Spray, X-Ray, Puree Fan, Slice, Blend, Toast Tan, Dice, Defend, Roast Transmit, Hammer, Harvest, Nail Mince, Filter, Copy, Flail Predict, Dig, Carry, Bake Siphon, Shred, Emboss, Rake Sever, Plough, Time, Sweep Pump, Power, Trim, Reap Probe, Thresh, Ignite, Measure Paddle, Cook and Self Pleasure Level, Bevel, Prune and Mount Tune, Turn, Churn and Count Lathe, Pave, Shave, Engrave Knit, Split and Microwave Extinguish, Weave, Lock, Sift Mould, Cool, Warn, Lift Load, Auger, Launch, Hull Feed, Package, Mix, Cull React, Transact, and Extract That’s a Fact Beat, Trace, Screw, Polish Heat, Space, Brew, Demolish Cart, Scan, Bale, Print Chart, Can, Mail, Tint Humidify, Select, Multiply, Collect Deny, Accept, Approve, Reject Survey, Grade, Play, Trade Shoot, Compute and Execute Explore, Blow, Saw, Sow, Draw, Mow, Bore, Grow Vaporize, Anaesthetise, Entertain and Sanitise Detect, Drill, Protect, Chill Clip, Chip, Strip and Kill Divide, Unite, Stop, Start Join Together, Tear Apart Communicate, Calculate, Percolate, Generate Fabricate, Activate, Resuscitate, Validate Navigate, Stimulate, Terminate, Annihilate Machines can do it all Take without guilt Give without joy Share without love Respond without thinking Heal without caring Obey without reason Dispense without compassion Govern without conscience Those bastard machines Have become – Human Beings © Copyright 2014 Ian Bland Also have a listen to the songs on the New Album “Angel In Reverse” Share this:TweetEmailMoreTelegram