The Heat of the Moment

It was chilly in the country So we had to use the heat To warm up our little weekend place, Our Pocono retreat. Electric heat’s expensive So we only turn it on When we’re in the house, but it stays off Most often when we’re gone. In wintertime, we set it low Just so the pipes don’t freeze Even though our bill increases By a number of degrees. Now, we’ve had the house for many years And follow some routines But at times it seems that aging Or distraction intervenes. So today, the first time ever, Spoiling many lucky streaks, We forgot to turn the heat off And we won’t be back for weeks. With some luck, we’ll reach a neighbor Or a friend of ours who’ll take Time to fix the situation Or we’ll pay for our mistake.