{"id":421,"date":"2015-07-29T07:04:45","date_gmt":"2015-07-29T14:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tomswritings.lewczyk.net\/?p=421"},"modified":"2025-07-10T11:12:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T18:12:31","slug":"death-of-a-student-classic-48-line-poem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lewczyk.net\/tomswritings\/?p=421","title":{"rendered":"Death of a Student [Classic] (48 line poem)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is perhaps the most ‘Alice like’ of my longer poems that I plan to include in my Alice-like narrative that connects my longer poems. As I’ve mentioned, the characters in the poems would become characters in the connecting story, with the Student from this poem being the main protagonist in the larger story, and the Teacher from this poem being the main antagonist.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my mind, this takes place in an old schoolhouse full of boys — before girls were part of mainstream education. To make it more modern and approachable, I probably need to have some of the students be girls — even quite likely the main protagonist — which may require some wording tweaks to the poem<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW NOTE: My son recently used AI to movie-ize this poem. Link here<\/em><\/span>: http:\/\/tomlewczyk.me\/DOS.mov<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThree times three,\u201d the Teacher said;
\u201cPlus three times three,\u201d He cried!
\u201cMakes six times three,\u201d a Student said;
And with those words, He died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCorrect,\u201d was all the Teacher said,
And looking rather glum,
He wondered how the answer could
Have come to One so dumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teacher searched His memory —
“Six apples minus three,
“Plus four more apples added next,
\u201cHow many will there be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Seven, Sir,” a small Voice said,
But Most stared in dismay
At First Boy slumped down in His chair
As Second passed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAgain correct,\u201d the Teacher sighed;
Another question spew
As steady rage within Him built —
\u201cWhat’s thirty minus two?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reluctant Students squirmed in shame;
All feared this certain death.
But Someone stammered \u201cTwenty eight,\u201d
And breathed His final breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now, the Teacher\u2019s face was red;
He spat a muffled curse;
He thought of answers and of deaths,
Not knowing which were worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then the Teacher saw the truth
Though not the How nor Why —
That All who answered what He asked
Were instantly to die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He brought forth question after next,
\u2018Til finally, He tired.
That left Him there with only One;
The Others had expired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m God!\u201d He thought, \u201cI rule the world!\u201d
He eyed the single Child.
He leered, He sneered, He showed His teeth.
The Other only smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He delved into His inner mind,
To find His very best,
To finish-off this Hanger-on,
To put Him to the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Teacher shuffled, sorted, thought,
At last came up with one.
\u201cAm I sure?\u201d He asked Himself\u2026
\u201cIndeed,\u201d and He was done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2021 comments:<\/em><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n