Duty Of Care

If there is anything more arcane than
the electrical workings of a bore-pump
set to time-switch automatic I’d like to
experience it; the beautiful simplicity of
this irascible beast’s ability to screw up
astounds even me – and I’ve learned
to expect the unexpected of just about
everything mechanical on the farm

My rational analysis says hold the phone
it is doing what you ask of it although
you haven’t a clue why; it pumps water
okay, fills tanks as it is supposed – just
doesn’t respond in a cogent way or goes
to extremes of servile stupidity by not
switching off when it should so the
tanks all overflow

Today I’ll give it another go, it is a long
walk to the bore where troubles begin
though my thinking suggests the trip has
something to do with it, like too many
distractions to remember which coloured
wires connect to where and why they
must be correct for the float switch to
know that it too, has a duty of care
© 5 September 2009, I. D. Carswell