Ah, so it was one ancient day
A brave young page did wend his way
O’er hill and dale and soggy moor
To bring good news to his master’s door.
“You’re late!”, he heard, and “Where’ve you been?”
“Why, this news is old; older than sin!”
And on the ungrateful boss did yell
Though the lad had scrambled o’er hill and dale!
And so, this lad with the brilliant mind
Devised a plan to cut down his time
When once again he would cross the moor
To bring good news to the boss’ door.
The path you see, was bent all askew
As many a winding path will do.
Why, it bent around the lush meadows fair
While a pathway, straight, would best get you there.
Next time this lad made the menacing trip
He was crafty and shrewd; he was smart as a whip.
Straight across meadows, he cut corners and such
And bettered his time to the great boss’ hutch!
“Never mind this great news you’ve so swiftly brought!
What is this slander and insult you’ve wrought?
You’ve eroded the moor and bent the grass yonder!”
The lad left, head down, with more questions to ponder.
“Is it better”, he wondered, “to be late with the word,
To do what’s been done and just follow the herd?”
“Or is it much better to do more work each day,
By rounding the corners and straightening the way?”
When next the mad journey, the young lad attempted,
He found that his boss had his shortcuts preempted!
At the wide sweeping bend ‘round the sweet meadow fair,
He found that a guard had been stationed there;
Blocking his detour and, yes, guarding the grass,
A brave knight stood ready, forbidding him pass!
And there where the lad would have skirted the moor
Stood a huge stone castle with a large wooden door.
With walls made of boulders, and ramparts so high;
A new regulation! His young hands were tied!
And so, he was beaten! His methods berated,
He returned to the meandering calf-path he hated!
It was slower by far than the path he had charted
But the price was too costly, when a new path he’d started!
The news got there late, but the boss didn’t care
For the grass was unbent in his meadow so fair!
2008. Written as a rebuttal to "The Calf Path" by Sam Walter Foss
A brave young page did wend his way
O’er hill and dale and soggy moor
To bring good news to his master’s door.
“You’re late!”, he heard, and “Where’ve you been?”
“Why, this news is old; older than sin!”
And on the ungrateful boss did yell
Though the lad had scrambled o’er hill and dale!
And so, this lad with the brilliant mind
Devised a plan to cut down his time
When once again he would cross the moor
To bring good news to the boss’ door.
The path you see, was bent all askew
As many a winding path will do.
Why, it bent around the lush meadows fair
While a pathway, straight, would best get you there.
Next time this lad made the menacing trip
He was crafty and shrewd; he was smart as a whip.
Straight across meadows, he cut corners and such
And bettered his time to the great boss’ hutch!
“Never mind this great news you’ve so swiftly brought!
What is this slander and insult you’ve wrought?
You’ve eroded the moor and bent the grass yonder!”
The lad left, head down, with more questions to ponder.
“Is it better”, he wondered, “to be late with the word,
To do what’s been done and just follow the herd?”
“Or is it much better to do more work each day,
By rounding the corners and straightening the way?”
When next the mad journey, the young lad attempted,
He found that his boss had his shortcuts preempted!
At the wide sweeping bend ‘round the sweet meadow fair,
He found that a guard had been stationed there;
Blocking his detour and, yes, guarding the grass,
A brave knight stood ready, forbidding him pass!
And there where the lad would have skirted the moor
Stood a huge stone castle with a large wooden door.
With walls made of boulders, and ramparts so high;
A new regulation! His young hands were tied!
And so, he was beaten! His methods berated,
He returned to the meandering calf-path he hated!
It was slower by far than the path he had charted
But the price was too costly, when a new path he’d started!
The news got there late, but the boss didn’t care
For the grass was unbent in his meadow so fair!
2008. Written as a rebuttal to "The Calf Path" by Sam Walter Foss
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