Page 46 - 1969
P. 46
Lament of the Coke Can As Unit X-91005A walked down the narrow
corridor, he began to wonder again. He wondered
A little coke can — what they were, these humans. "They are infinitely
Just a little empty coke can on the side of the more complicated than we,” he thought, “yet less
efficient and more fragile. They have bone and
road. flesh instead of a tungsten core and silicate shell.
Tumbling and rolling and no place to go. They kept speaking of foreign things.” Oddly, he
I once was a happy little coke can had a strange feeling about them, a feeling which
With a bright red coat to show.
But now I am dull and have no place to go. seemed to go back beyond the beginning. Yet this
Yes, a lonely little coke can on the side of the
was impossible.
road, He thought as far back as he could; his memory
Tumbling and rolling and no place to go.
tapes had been erased at the beginning. How
John Benedito Senior III
could this be, if everything started at the
Reflections beginning? The humans said there was a
Is everybody warm? civilization before the beginning. He dared not
Does everybody have a place to hide? think about this for fear of the master.
Don’t you know it’s true?
Everyone’s just fine! Many humans were found at the beginning, but
they did not function, did not react. This was
At the push of a button inefficient. He remembered knowing who they
There’s no place to run. were, what they did. Now the knowledge was
And like a shot from a gun, we’re gone in a cloud. gone. Only the master knew.
Everybody’s just fine!
Somehow, he could not harm these humans; a
The children of Biafra, directive of unknown origin would not permit it.
They starve and die each day.
Don’t you wanna run away? This was illogical. The master had never issued
O, No! such a directive. It was illogical to wonder; it did
Everybody’s just fine! not serve a purpose. Somehow, illogicalness was in
The dove and the branch are buried in rubble him. Perhaps it was the result of human
And the Empire State is about to tumble contamination.
On the housewives of Pompeii.
But they couldn’t run away. As he neared the end of the corridor, he noticed
O They were just fine. the words “Reprogramming Room” ominously
Alden Watson, Senior III leering at him. He^knew what must occur. Yet,
still he wondered.
Christian Eisenbeiss, Senior III
THE BUMBLE-FLY
As I was sitting on my bed, wondering what to
write my weekend composition on, an ugly little
creature came buzzing around my head. It looked
like a cross between a fly and a bumble-bee. What
could be a better name for this insect than a
bumble-fly!
I took no notice of this bumble-fly at first, but
as it kept annoying me, I decided that if I didn’t
do something about this creature, I would never
get my composition written. I got up and started
to chase this little beast until I was quite out of
breath. I couldn’t catch this insect.
I then had a brilliant plan. Maybe I could lure
the bumble-fly away with honey. I ran into the
kitchen and brought back a dish of honey. The
insect quickly lighted on it. I slowly started out the
door, not daring to breathe. I reached the door
and —puff —the bumble-fly was off in a flash. I
tried again and again, but every time I reached the
door, the bumble-fly flew off the honey.
Then I had a brainstorm. I complimented
myself over and over again for thinking of this
great plan. Why don’t I just leave the room? I
quickly put this plan into action. I gathered up my
books and left my room, shutting the door. I
quickly settled myself in another corner of the
house. I was all set to start work when, looking up,
I noticed that I was right back at the beginning.
The bumble-fly had come through the heating
vents . . .
So, despite all the efforts I had made, I just
couldn’t get rid of him. Although I managed to
get my composition written, I have learned a new
and important fact - NEVER TRIFLE WITH A
BUMBLE-FLY! Pam Kenny, Senior IV
