Power Factor

The name plate sits pretty, looking polished and neat

Shows off the dormant power that’s lying beneath

It needs to be taken for a spin, dragged through some murk

It needs a bit of excitation to prepare it for work

At the flick of the switch, the current rises high

Pent-up inertia needs a fitting reply

Heavy-duty equipment, freshly commissioned

Spins into life, hums into rotation

More noise, less work comes from unloaded spinning poles

Time to put the wheel on the shaft, get things to roll

Action for reaction spreads through the circuitry

Intensifies with addition of more machinery

Needs to be controlled by some additional accessory

Need a greater overlap, need a better cosine

Need to stop the wave from lagging behind

The wave must stay in step, the electrons must drag their feet

To avoid a slip-up and release of excess heat, a sign of impending defeat

Need to put the fear of disaster, of swaying wildly off the mark

Of someone who’ll cut off the power and extinguish the arc

Of new installation being preferred over excessive operating cost

Of someone who won’t hesitate to replace if the efficiency is lost