Janice Thompson Poet Rhyme

Happier With Less

One day the EMP’s were launched
Then came the fervent cries 
Of towns folk barging through the streets 
Demanding to know why
All of their electronic gear
Upon which they relied 
For very nearly everything 
Had in an instant died.

There was no way for them to know
How long they’d be denied
Their use of precious gadgets for
All media was fried.
There was so much sheer chaos and
It lasted through the night
Until exhaustion nullified 
Their will and thus their fight.

There wasn’t any answer
For a very long long time 
At length the seething settled down
Then each and all resigned
To live without devices which had
Overcome their lives.
The old ways returned yet again
In time they would surmise

How much  the world which they had loved 
Enforced a hefty price
Of degradation to the point
Where nothing would suffice
But noise and entertainment
Spilling out of each device,
Where no one thought to turn things off.
No, none could sacrifice

One moment for tranquility
For quiet, peaceful nights,
For gatherings among their friends,
For conversations rife
With happy comradery 
By day or firelight.
It took a blackout to suspend
The madness in one bite.

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Alison A Smith nee Howarth September 14, 2026 at 3:33 AM A powerful, thoughtfully structured poem that turns an EMP blackout into a compelling analogy for modern dependence on constant technology. The steady rhyme and ballad-like quatrains give the social chaos—and the eventual rediscovery of quiet companionship—a clear, memorable progression. I especially liked the contrast between media “noise and entertainment” and the final images of friendship by firelight: a hopeful, humane ending. Janice Thompson September 15, 2026 at 6:28 PM Thank you so much for this fabulous feedback. i am overjoyed that you picked up so much of what I was aiming for. Thank you.