Written by Susan Lane SLCM Keeper of ColourMine
An old relic of a gas fire still enjoying family life, especially when a power cut strikes
The Gas Fire Reminisces
Slow unending saucy and nighttime living and nicely endowed
I’ve been here now for many years
Close on forty I think
There was an open coal fire before me
Always used from autumn through to spring
The coal fire kept them warm,
And the water too
Upstairs, you had to dress
For winter in an igloo
Nighttime was to bed fully clothed
With a hood you see
Or you’d freeze your Rs off
If you got out during the night for a pee
As I say, I am now here
Although there are a few changes
That you cannot see
That they had to agree on to keep me
When I was installed,
I was hooked up to a back boiler you see,
But that’s de-funked and not allowed
So now it’s only me
The Law Has Changed but I’m Still Here
I still work properly on gas
But the light under my coals doesn’t work
Although that’s not a problem to me,
I’m no longer connected to the electricity
The lady of the house wasn’t keen on that idea
But that’s ok with me
Considering the she doesn’t often use me
Though in the winter
If the electricity is down then
I get to be in the spotlight you see
Because then once again
I send out a marvellous heat
I wear my crown of gaiety
And show off my beautiful coals
So proud and brilliant, you see
I really heat the room,
In fact, the whole downstairs
The upstairs is not so good
It has a frosty winter glare
The Winter Starts to Bite
But as long as I keep the temperature
Above five degrees, just to keep the frost off
That’s still better than no heating
From me
And if it gets really cold,
Then the lady of the house
Just whacks me up onto three
And now that’s me done
Absolutely tuckered you see
Because I don’t usually
Blast away like that,
Now it’s time to sit back
And enjoy a cup of tea
© Susan Lane. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the author.
ColourMine poetry, and the original photographs, are completely authentic to myself, Susan Lane – no AI, no plagiarism, all checked and verified by copyleaks
Apologies for the emoji presentation – I tested several, but this was the only one that worked reliably on ColourMine. Just click the box next to the emoji and hit submit, and I’ll know if the poem resonated with you. Thank you for sharing your feelings.
More poems written by Susan Lane, and you can choose by category
Blog | Organic voice | A happy survival of triumph here
Speak freely, ColourMine and myself will be pleased to hear from you.
