[Ingrid]

The beginning is not that rhythmic but it keeps getting better as you read..

Abort, Retry, Ignore?
by Anonymous Works


Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary

Soda cans and pizza boxes on the floor

Longing for the warmth of bed sheets, still I sat there doing spreadsheets

When finally at the bottom line, I took a floppy from the drawer

Then invoked the SAVE command, waited for the disk to store

Only this and nothing more.



Deep into the dark screen peering, long I sat there wondering, fearing

Doubting, while the disk kept churning, turning yet to churn some more

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token

“Save!” I cried, “You cursed mother! Save my data from before!”

One thing did the phosphors answer, only this and nothing more

Just “Abort, Retry, Ignore?”



Was this some occult illusion, some maniacal intrusion?

These were choices undesired, ones I’d never faced before

Carefully I weighed the choices, as the disk made impish noises

The cursor flashed, insistent, waiting, baiting me to type some more

Clearly I must press a key, choosing one of only three

Just “Abort, Retry, Ignore?”



With fingers pale and eyes attending, slowly toward the keyboard bending

Longing for a happy ending, hoping all would be restored

Praying for some guarantee, timidly, I pressed a key

But on the screen there still persisted, words appearing as before

Ghastly grim they blinked and taunted, haunted, as my patience wore

Just “Abort, Retry, Ignore?”



I tried to catch the chips off guard and pressed again but twice as hard

I pleaded with the damn machine, I begged and cried and then I swore

Now in mighty desperation, trying any combination

Still there came the incantation, just as senseless as before

Cursor blinking, angry winking, blinking nonsense as before

Just “Abort, Retry, Ignore?”



There I sat, distraught, exhausted, by my own machine accosted

Getting up I turned away and paced across the office floor

And then I saw a dreadful sight, a lightning bolt cut through the night

A gasp of horror overtook me, shook me to my very core

The lightning zapped my hard-won data, lost and gone forevermore

Just “Abort, Retry, Ignore?”



And to this day we do not know the place to which lost numbers go

What netherworld from which we could restore

Beyond the reach of mortal souls, beyond the ether, to black holes

But since there’s Windows, Lotus, C, and more

You will one day be left to wander, lost on some Plutonian shore

Just “Abort, Retry, Ignore?”

[Dansker]

Ingrid,
LOL=)

[kitty]

speaking about literature, did u know that the above poem is a spoof of "nevermore" by edgar poe?

[Cavedweller]

probably..

[Ingrid]

kitty

speaking about literature, did u know that the above poem is a spoof of "nevermore" by edgar poe?

I sure did. I however thought the name of the poem was The Raven.

[kitty]

smart a**!!
just kidding! so the name of the poem is "the raven", not "nevermore". It was a long time since i last read it! but the spoof is very funny - I certainly was with my 'fingers cramped and vision bleary" when I was writing my dissertation a few months ago and a good third of it vanished into the ether, for me to see it nevermore. hehe

[indiefox]

I like this one

Will there really be a "Morning"?
Is there such a thing as "Day"?
Could I see it from the mountains
If I were as tall as they?

Has it feet like Water lilies?
Has it feathers like a Bird?
Is it brought from famous countries
Of which I have never heard?

[Myrddin]

Ingrid

Abort, Retry, Ignore?

There is one more famous parody, it's The End of the Raven, by Poe's Cat

On a night quite unenchanting, when the rain was downward slanting,
I awakened to the ranting of the man I catch mice for.
Tipsy and a bit unshaven, in a tone I found quite craven,
Poe was talking to a Raven perched above the chamber door.
"Raven's very tasty," thought I, as I tiptoed o'er the floor,
"There is nothing I like more."

Soft upon the rug I treaded, calm and careful as I headed
Towards his roost atop that dreaded bust of Pallas I deplore.
While the bard and birdie chattered, I made sure that nothing clattered,
For his house is crammed with trinkets, curios and weird decor -
Bric-a-brac and junk galore.

Still the Raven never fluttered, standing stock-still as he uttered,
In a voice that shrieked and sputtered, his two-cents' worth - "Nevermore."
While this dirge the birdbrain kept up, oh, so silently I crept up,
Then I crouched and quickly leapt up, pouncing on the feathered bore.
Soon he was a heap of plumage, and a little blood and gore -
Only this and not much more.

"Oooo!" my pickled poet cried out, "Pussycat, it's time I dried out!
Never sat I in my hideout talking to a bird before;
How I've wallowed in self-pity, while my gallant, valiant kitty
Put an end to that damned ditty" - then I heard him start to snore.
Back atop the door I clambered, eyed that statue I abhor,
Jumped - and smashed it on the floor.