Be Prepared Poem by William Chaplar

A marathoner starts a race but quits after a mile,
and people ask why he so poorly fared.
It doesn't take a genius or that awfully long a while
for all to see that he was not prepared.

A football team ranked number one gets beat their opening game
by one that all agree could not compare.
It doesn't take a sportscaster of nationwide acclaim
to figure out that they were not prepared.

A prison inmate who's released comes back after a year
because he couldn't make it anywhere.
It matters not to which pedantic theory you adhere,
the bottom line is he was not prepared.

A student takes a test in school and flunks the thing hands down;
her parents freak when they become aware.
One needn't be an educator in search of renown
to ascertain that she was not prepared.

A sexually active teen is in a family way;
the father cannot be found anywhere.
It doesn't matter which ethical standard you obey,
most would agree that she is not prepared.