June 2003                                                        The Megaphone                                                            Page 2

Diddy Boppin' Is Good

or

This Too Shall Pass

From: Jerry Kaser
To: PantherDen
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 8:21 PM
Subject: The Kids

Hi Denites, 

One day not long ago I was sitting at my computer diddy boppin' around and saw where there was a contest for new poetry by amateurs. Not having anything to do at the moment I figured I would try my hand at it. After doing what I thought was a credible piece of work, I went to submit it . . . only it wouldn't take it. After several attempts to submit the poem I gave up and figured it probably was some sort of scam anyway. So the poem was entitled "The Human Condition" and I filed it away.

I just happened to run across the poem and after reading it again, thought it wasn't too shabby for an old geezer from Elwood . . . I happen to know there are several excellent poets from Elwood. I even have a book written by one of them. I thought I might put this out on SmartGroups [the Panther Den's list server] for whatever it was worth . . . then found out I couldn't do that.

I am really not in the fold so this probably won't pass the screeners either; but if it does and for whatever it is worth, here it is:

The Human Condition

The human condition is often a task,
For what specific purpose you ask,
We educate and train our boys and girls,
To show we have raised the perfect pearls.

For all those years of sacrifice and work,
They go astray and duties they shirk,
We make a life plan for those kids to follow,
All our efforts and vision often rings hollow,

A new medicine they might discover,
Or some scientific wonder they uncover,
It might be a brave or heroic deed,
Our victory is knowing we planted the seed,

As time goes by and our life is near conclusion,
We worry about the children and their seclusion,
Have we done our job and trained them well,
Is it all a delusion, is the world is going to hell,

To parents everywhere I say to you fear not,
The kids will make a mark and figure out a lot,
Things we could not imagine or figure the worth,
Children, will learn as they inherit the Earth.

by Jerry Kaser '55
Lake Havasu City, AZ