Poetry Rule No. 1 Do your own filing

First published 22 January 2021

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Lever Arch File

A lever arch file
is a beautiful thing,
made of cardboard
and shiny metal,
designed to hold papers in place
with a lever and a spring.

You can have an A-Z index
or a dating system
nothing left to chance
records retrieved, at a glance.

There was something so sure
about the lever arch file
that now sits in a pile
in landfill
or burnt on a bonfire
turned into ash.

With digital data
we’re up in the clouds
never quite sure
what goes up
or comes down.

Searches draw blanks
seem random at best
will our technological filing systems
really stand the test
like the lever arch file did
once upon a time?

2021 & 2025

Poetry Rule No. 1 Do your own filing

The Lever Arch File

A lever arch file
is a beautiful thing,
made of cardboard
and shiny metal,
designed to hold papers in place
with a lever and a spring.

You can have an A-Z index
or a dating system,
nothing left to chance,
records retrieved, at a glance.

There is something so safe and satisfying
about the lever arch file
that now sits in a pile
in landfill
or burnt on a bonfire
where the smoke goes up
into the clouds.

Now we have digital data,
tags and the like,
are archives really a thing of the past?

Searches draw blanks,
seem random at best
will our technological filing systems
really stand the test,
like the lever arch file did,
once upon a time?

© Maggie ‘Glad the Poet’ Baker 22 January 2021