The life of a pencil
Once defined as finite,
Has moved beyond limits
Of its sharpening life.
Remember the grinding
Of bright yellow wood?
Had to access the lead,
Make it work like it should...
I can still recall nights
With homework a-plenty,
That pencil could just fit
In my hand for word entry!
At those times, the back end
Was longer than the front,
And I’d write and I’d write
‘Til the lead became blunt.
These fun recollections
Are just that, I’m afraid,
Seems pencils of present
Are mechanically made.
Just a simple click, click
And the lead reappears,
No grinding with sharp’ners
And the things last for years!
Now, I’m for nostalgia
Certainly has its place,
But the new pencil’s life
I heartily embrace*!
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Author Notes
*Of course, the exception to this is that students cannot use a mechanical pencil on the SAT or ACT because answer sheet scanners are specifically calibrated to detect the marks made by a No. 2 pencil and mechanical pencils are not always regulated as No. 2. In addition, they are thin and prone to breaking, which means your marks may not be as readable as the thicker, darker marks you can achieve with an old-school number 2 pencil. The SAT and ACT scoring machines need to process score sheets fast, which means any variation might delay the process.
Image from chapinchronicle.org
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