Abacus You ever seen an abacus With wooden beads all in neat rows? Those centipede-like things that can Alleviate your counting woes. They're mostly sold in import shops-- Wall knickknacks decorating dens; But yet, in fact, an abacus Is used for computation, friends. Machine to calculate, compute-- On second thought, that's not quite true; It's just a visual account Of computation minds must do. In Asia for two thousand years They have been used and yet are sold. Of wood and brass and ivory They're nice to look at, touch, and hold. The longer people handle them, The smoother, lovelier they get. They last a lifetime, never need Updated software, "driver" set. The presence of the abacus Puts progress in perspective light. A contest once arranged to show, To demonstrate the value, might, Of calculator-abacus, Was won by Chan Kai Kit inspite The calculator's winning time-- Machine was first, Chan Kit was right! With forty seconds edge in time, But fuzzy facts a loss of face; Chan Kit, his human hand and mind, Has shown that "old" still holds a place Of usefulness amid the "new" As well as for its beauty, grace. (C) 8-2-95 Charles SielertBirth sign: Not entered
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