The AnnouncementsOnce upon a midday glaring, While I pondered, hardly caring,Over many a dense and repetitive volume of forgotten math-- While I pondered, hardly caring, suddenly there came a blaring, As of someone loudly drilling, drilling through my skull in wrath. "'Tis an air crash," I muttered, "blaring through my skull in wrath." "But now must I return to math." But the jarring, grating, splintering sound of each syllable Shook me--took me to a land of changes in the bus schedule: So that now, concentration broken, I could hear words being spoken-- Endless streams of words were spoken, spoken by an apparent fool. Then I saw these were announcements, spoken endless by a ghoul. Quoth the loudspeaker, "One announcement more." I listened a while in fascination, but I finally grew impatient: Impatient for these lists to end. For, nothing in imagination Could be so boring, loud and grating, as these announcements inculcating. No, I then grew more impatient, as time ticked on across the nation, Time moved on across the nation and yawns I heard from desks adjacent: Quoth the loudspeaker, "One announcement more." My boredom turned to fright and fear, for nothing more would bring near The end of these announcements turgid, save the 3:10 bell's a-ringing; And though I was rescued by the ringing--the ringing of the 3:10 bell-- And I heard many with joy springing, and out the door themselves flinging, I knew what the next day'd be bringing, and save for the 3:10 bell's a-ringing, It would be lifted: Nevermore! |