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From: jorge@parallel.UUCP (Jorge Gustavson)
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: The Last Bug
Message-ID: <255@parallel.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Sep-84 13:46:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: parallel.255
Posted: Wed Sep 12 13:46:29 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 06:42:17 EDT
Lines: 22


	The Last Bug

"But you're out of your mind," 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 mem-dumps and punch cards.  "I'm close," he muttered.

The mumbling got louder: "Simple deduction!
I've got it! It's right! Just change one instruction!"

It still wasn't perfect, as year followed year.
And strangers would comment, "Is that guy STILL here?"

He died at the console of hunger and thirst.
Next day he was buried, face-down, nine-edge first.

And the last bug in sight, an ant passing by
Saluted his tombstone and whispered, "Nice try!"