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The Last Bug

“But you’re out of your mind,”

They said with a shrug,

“The customer’s happy-

What’s one little bug?”

But he was determined,

The others went home.

He spread out the program,

Deserted, alone.

When the cleaning men came,

The room was cluttered

With memory dumps, and punch cards,

“I’m close,” he muttered.

The mumbling got louder,

“Simple deduction,

I’ve got it, it’s right,

Just change one instruction!”

It still wasn’t perfect

As year followed year

And strangers would comment.

“Is that guy still here?”

He died at the console

Of hunger and thirst

Next day he was buried,

Face down, nine-edge first.

And the last bug in sight,

An ant passing by,

Saluted his tombstone

And whispered, “Nice try!”

Anonymous