Elle Vampa

broken and bruised
like the box
that carries gifts
too precious to
wrap in gold

my rage covers
up the human
part of myself
I’m reluctant to
reveal to you

fear sorrow hurt
failure tears pain
all my bads
hidden in a
layer of guilt

a ribbon of rage
conceals all there is
so you won’t see
the vulnerability in me

Elle Vampa

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How would you rate our service, on a 0-10 point scale?

A few weeks ago, right in the middle of the finale of Devious Maids season 1, my beloved laptop died a quick and surprisingly quiet death.

Drawing a single *poof* for a substituted last breath, it turned itself off for a last time, never to be switched on again :(

(I mean, I tried. Countless times. And for a few moments I was greeted with the comforting green letters, but only for a second. Conclusion: broken heartboard – see what I did there?)

Well.

Who knew life without a laptop could be so boring. And empty. Turns out I needed my electronic friend (whom I lovingly referred to as The Second Greatest Love Of My Life) more than I’d imagined. Even if it was only to watch what happened to the murderer of Flora Hernandez.

Despite my grief I needed a replacement ASAP. But… with an adopted tradition of Black Friday coming up, I dared not to make such a bold move. Meaning that I could not get myself to order a new laptop so close to any potential Amazing Deals.

Therefore, I waited.

(And watched Devious Maids on my phone – not a recommendation by the way. Watching TV on a phone, I mean, not the TV show. The show is fine.)

While waiting for the prices to drop, I did some research and swiftly found a more than decent replacement for The Second Greatest Love Of My Life. So, like a predator, I bookmarked it, sat back, and…

Watched the price go up pretty much daily.

*sigh*

Even though this was seemingly rendering the looming price drops of Black Friday useless, I also noticed the store was experimenting with different types of price drops already.

And after two weeks of impatiently expressing patience, the price (accidentally?) lowered back to a little under what it was before it got upped, so I snatched it.

And then…

RAGE as the Mail daily delayed delivery of my laptop!

(Which I’ve baptised Liam, by the way. Only because The Third Greatest Love Of My Life hasn’t got a nice ring to it…)

Liam was supposed to have been a quick, well, “birth” so to speak (if one laptop can die, surely another one can be born), with “delivery guaranteed within 24 hours.”

But the 24 hours turned into 48 turned into 72 turned into…

Zero – I select.

Could you please elaborate on your score for our service? The Mail Questionnaire prompts.

Sure.

I stretch my fingers, crackle my knuckles and spill ALLLLLLL my rage out onto the online survey of the National Mail: you provide zero mail service, you provide zero customer service, you provide zero problem solving and you provide zero packages. It’s only fitting I score you accordingly.

Smiling, I press Enter.

On Liam.

Because (only) thanks to the online store, I finally received The Second Second Greatest Love Of My Life! And now it’s time for this devious dame to watch more Devious Maids ;)

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I’m pulling one over Life, as I’ve decided to write a book. Well, a collection of poems more like. It’s going to be called Solitude in Red and will span 13 months, going from October to October. The second theme is Rage and the poem up there is part of the collection.