The Cube And I Poem by Jarrod Wakefield

This is a very poor version of a poem I came across about 15 years ago, supposedly by R.J. Wakefield has botched up the meter and sometimes the grammar. I see Geoff Russell saw it in Mad Magazine 1989...will try to track down the real author! Here is the version I have: THE CUBE AND I Last week I brought home Rubik's Cube To test my skill against its might. Behold I said, this silly toy- This plastic puzzle kids enjoy- I'll solve it in a night! The night fled by, the dawn arrived; The cube unsolved, in disarray, Rebuffed each hopeless turn and twist- Brought aching to my hand and wrist, As I worked through the day. At last one side I lined up orange; This seemed at first a great success. But lo! it brought me little cheer. The other five remained, I fear, A multicolored mess. Two days flew past, then three and four; My work neglected, went undone. Though greens lined up in columns true, How come the red was mixed with blue? Does Rubik call this fun? A thousand times the cube I turned; My fingers gripped around its parts, Until at last the truth set in: I didn't lack the will to win; I simply lacked the smarts. No more, I said to Rubik's Cube, Shall you enslave me in your power. Thus liberated from its hold, I gave it to an eight-year-old, Who solved it in an hour!

I'll say, Jarrod! You've been so good at writing this poem that you've even managed to publish it in 'Mad magazine' in 1989, before you were born! Should I feel impressed, or are you going to introduce a rectification on who's reeally the author? Sorry, kid.

Ouch. It's incredible how such a simple idea can become so complex as to reduce us to the intellectual equivalent of a dishcloth. Especially when given the circumstance of your last two lines. I feel your pain. lol This was a very entertaining post.