The Proctor Will Have Instructions

[Ruth]

Here's a fun poem I just now found upon rereading Richard Beban's book What the Heart Weighs.

The Proctor Will Have Instructions
-------------Richard Beban

There is a test
at the end of this
life. Don’t worry, it’s impossible
to fail. They’ll ask
what you learnd & we all
learned something. It will be
multiple choice,
you’ll have a quiet room,
a sharp black number two
pencil & all
the time you need.

[David]

I like this. My college freshman daughter loved it.

And she has good taste.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

It has slightly bitter overtones.....the ultimate dumbing down?

[Ruth]

I see a little tongue-in-cheek humor, while reminding us that we have learned something after all.

[Carol]

Isn't that all we ever have in life is multiple choices

[Ruth]

You know, you're absolutely right, Carol. I hadn't thought of that.

[Ken, Moderator]

I like "& all the time you need."

I think Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) would like it, too.

[Ruth]

I like that last line, too, NE. That's what brings the rueful smile.

[Ken, Moderator]

What would life be without "rueful smiles" -- especially at our advanced ages?

[Carol]

A bunch of crabby people.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Curmudgeons!!

[Carol]

If we didn't learn anything does that mean we do life all over again

[Ken, Moderator]

If only...

[Carol]

Shoot who knows if you are really rotten you might come back as a worm and live in an apple and someone would eat you.

[Ken, Moderator]

I couldn't stomach it.

[David]

More maxims of archy:

insects are not always
going to be bullied
by humanity
some day they will revolt
i am already organizing
a revolutionary society to be
known as the worms turnverein

i once heard the survivors
of a colony of ants
that had been partially
obliterated by a cow s foot
seriously debating
the intention of the gods
towards their civilization

the bees got their
governmental system settled
millions of years ago
but the human race is still
groping