With apologies to Shelley
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 06:42AM This lovely little parody came as a response to my entry yesterday on impermanance. Bob (no last name or e-mail address) has a gift...
Techymandias
I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two shiny and powerless laptops
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered USB lies, whose cap,
And cracked plug, and sneer of old folders,
Tell that its user well those documents read
Which don’t survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that used them, and the CPU that fed;
And on the side these words appear:
“My name is Techymandias, king of info:
Look upon my storage, you Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing inside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal tech wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Bob
Reader Comments (9)
Doug,
You've made me famous...as long as that lasts...
My last claim to fame was borrowing your USB when you were here in NH last year so I could get one of your videos.
Check is in the mail.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Happy to give you full credit if you'd like!
Doug
Doug,
This is why readers keep coming back for more.
' Round the decay
Of that colossal tech wreck,..'
The theme of this sonnet begs for more. We build up monuments to various causes and ideologies in society and in education. What can we hold on to? I have an answer, and have a feeling I can anticipate yours.
Nice one Bob! you guys are great and I am learning new insights just by reading your post. I'm still young and has a lot of things to learn, so I really appreciate reading good post by blogger. It broadens my knowledge and enlightens me with new insight. Thanks.
I love this parody of Shelly's Ozymandias. I must remember to share with why students tomorrow. See ya round like a doughnut.
I have to say that it is both poetic and very up to date. This poem very adequate to what we can observe in our society. Well done and I am waiting for more.
Hi Paul,
Isn't it a delight to have clever readers!
Doug
Hi Erica,
I am not sure if your comments are genuine or a means of doing a little advertising. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt.
All the best,
Doug
"See you round like a donut." I think you've been hanging out with middle schoolers!
Thanks for the comment,
Doug
Hi John,
I hope the guest blogger who wrote this reads your words. It may well encourage him to write additional verse.
All the best,
Doug
Love this! Me thinks it would be great to use next month (National Poetry Month) as a poster in our library. Now to see if I can find some old computer parts to be part of the display.
I can see a whole new genre of poetry..
Gather ye blog posts while ye may?
Shall I compare the to well-written computer code?
Do not go gentle into that good crash?
Yikes!
Doug