Clark Gormley #89 more than you think

there is a certain

pleasure to be had

from objects that do

more than you think

like reclining lounges

pull the lever

and the footrest comes up

the headrest goes back

and the more hidden

that lever the better

the same goes for

the sprinkler heads

that pop up from

the lawn

the fascination

seems to go all the way

back to childhood

the palm trees drooped aside

as Thunderbird 2 rolled past

the swimming pool slid away

to allow Thunderbird 3

to launch

sometimes it didn’t

even have to move

that hidden second layer

in the chocolate box

brought such joy

but is this just a childish delight

in toys that do unexpected things?

the ancient Greeks did not

build automata just for the kids

neither was Digesting Duck

made to satisfy the appetites

of Renaissance children

I’d like to think

that we are driven

by an innate desire

to achieve

the seemingly impossible

to constantly strive

for increased complexity

with added functionality

for the betterment

of all of humanity

but perhaps we

just like to revel

in our own cleverness