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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxi!cbosgd!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!finn
From: finn@pur-ee.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.poems
Subject: The Last Bug
Message-ID: <980@pur-ee.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Jul-83 14:41:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: pur-ee.980
Posted: Thu Jul 14 14:41:09 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Jul-83 14:04:05 EDT
Lines: 45

"But what does it matter?",
    they said with a shrug.
"The customer's happy,
    what's one little bug?"

But he was determined,
    the others went home.
He spread out the program,
    Deserted.  Alone.

The cleaning men came,
    the whole room was cluttered,
with punch cards and core dumps,
    "I'm close!", he muttered.

His mumbling grew louder.
    Simple deduction.
"I've got it!"  "It's right!"
    "Just change one instruction!"

It still wasn't right,
    as year followed year,
and strangers would query,
    "Is that nut still here?"

He died at his console,
    of hunger and thirst.
They buried him next day,
    (face down -- 9 edge first)

The last bug in sight,
    one small ant passing by,
saluted his tombstone,
    and whispered, "Nice try!"


	Unknown author

	You wanted rhyme and rhythm? ...
	I'll admit that we could use a bit more style in this
	newsgroup (Sequence X?? be real!), but I'll say this for the
	people who submit regularly,  at least they try, which is a lot
	more than their critics do...
	David Hesselberth,	Purdue University Computer Center
	{harpo, decvax, ucbvax} !pur-ee!finn  (or)  !pur-ee:pucc-h:adr