Can you remember a time
When there was no Internet?
When there were long queues to battle
And patrons were vexed?
Especially on paydays
When the queues were extra long
And you took time off from work
Or when lunchtime bound?
I remember as a teacher
Early each payday morning
I would be standing outside the bank
Awaiting its opening.
On being dispatched
I would quickly head to school
In my attempt to be an example
In not breaking my rule.
The rule to be punctual
That I had taught my pupils
Since I felt to be chronically unpunctual
Was also an evil.
Do not shoot me down,
That was just how I felt
And regarding people and their time
That’s how I dealt.
But the time did come
When the Internet arrived
And today in most business ventures
Online is the drive.
Cheques are moving out
And we do business online
And this saves not only a lot of effort
But also saves time.
Less paper and stamps
As letters turn to emails,
And now we chat on WhatsApp, etc.,
Without fail.
We order from overseas
And we pay online
And when everything goes right
Parcels arrive on time.
Online text, voice and video
Most of us enjoy,
Not to mention the many gadgets
We now have as toys.
Little ones and even adults
Exercise their thumbs
As they play games on the Internet
For their daily runs.
And when Wi-Fi drops out
We are the proverbial fish
That wriggles and squirms around
With a singular wish.
Oh, for that water of life
That we call the Internet!
When it is up and running properly
All our needs are met.
Since we have at our disposal
The World-Wide-Web,
Books are decreasing alarmingly
As like spiders we’re fed.
Whatever we want to know
We can now turn to AI,
Artificial Intelligence is the bomb
Whether truth or lie.
We don’t have to think,
AI can do everything for us
And soon AI will become the god
We believe in and trust.
Don’t make light, I adjure you,
Of the preceding verse,
It is surely where we are headed
And for what we thirst.
It is a dependency
That is becoming more stark
And sometimes I can’t help but feel
It is getting dark.
Can you remember a time
When there was no Internet?
Well, there are still long queues online
And patrons are vexed.
Stewart Russell © September 29, 2025
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