“Cordless”

Perhaps you, as I, are puzzled by the lack of clarity
in the much-used word, “cordless.”

If the word “cordless” means “without cord”
I drink from cordless beer mug,
eat cordless bananas,
write with cordless pencil.
Eve and Adam were cordless people.

"Cordless"

Bob Komives

If “cordless” means “once-upon-a-time-had-a-cord”
the rest of us are cordless people—
crazy people, if we speak of “cordless screwdrivers.”
For, I have owned dozens such tools,
but not one with a cord—
       except the day I attached a string to one
       for fear of losing yet another down the well.

If “cordless” means “empowered by battery”
I almost understand the term.
My wristwatch is cordless;
I can’t wind its spring.
And, though my camera has a wrist cord,
it too is made cordless
by double-double-A cells.
I now have several friends
       with somewhat cordless automobiles,
and one with a kind-but-cordless pacemakered heart—
But, as of yet, only robots are truly cordless people.

If, after all this puzzling,
you share my conclusion
that “cordless” means “meaningless”
we can only wish somehow to have enjoyed
       this cordless waste of our time.

 Bob Komives :: Fort Collins © 2007 :: "Cordless" :: 0709