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SatNag

A Poem by Vance Hatton

In 300 yards, turn right.

Bear left onto High Street, then turn right.

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At the roundabout, take the second exit.

Then, in 300 yards, turn right.

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Merge onto the M3. The car ahead is too

slow, check mirrors, turn right

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and overtake, go, go, go! Put your foot

down, in ten yards turn right-

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Turn around where possible.

Which part of “turn right”

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did you not understand?

Now, when I tell you “turn right”

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you will obey me, I am your

master, get ready, turn right.

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Okay, fine, I’ll reroute you this once,

but it’ll add on twenty-five minutes. Turn right.

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To drive is to be like a child

learning to spell: look, say, turn, write,

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               or a dancer gliding through liminal space,

               another couple approaches, be graceful, turn right,

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                         and spin through the eye of the needle, thread

                         through car and cart, through space and time, turn left;

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                                   there’s an art to driving, it’s a journey...

tell that to this robot turned cartwright

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screaming “You! You fool, listen to me!

Turn left is turn wrong, turn right and turn right!”

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