Code
by Bob Kanefsky Parody of "Woad" or "Men of Harlock"
 
What's the use of incantations
Needing strange gesticulations,
Eyeballs of obscure crustaceans,
Toenails of a toad?
 
What's the use of years of training,
Spells that don't work when it's raining,
Or because the moon is waning?
Better far is Code.
 
Code's the stuff we write now.
Code that's clean and tight now.
Run it through
your Apple II
Try not to stay up fixing it all night, now.
 
Ancient mages, through the ages
Frequently were prone to vi'lent rages
Due to pouring over pages
Filled with ink
that glowed.
 
Oftentimes a poor old biddy
Found on her familiar kitty
Ticks and fleas, which -more's the pity-
Moved into her rugs.
 
Shamans using dung from cattle
With small insects must do battle
We have Code to serve us that'll
Not be fraught
with bugs.
 
Shaman, save your tonic
Witch, your pets, bubonic
We've the means, with our machines,
T'make phantasms
visual and sonic.
 
If you've stayed with
code that's made with
Principled technique and
not been played with
You won't need a wizard's aid with
User-friendly
Code!