The Finnegan Papers

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2002 - 2:38 p.m.

charming

Finny is mentally exhausted. Is it from all that Java servlet programming? Alas, no, it is not. Finny is exhausted because he's just spent the entire morning writing "charming verse" for some blurbs at work.

This is what he wrote for the girls' phobia page (clinophobia - "the fear of going to bed"):

Clinophobia, Susie went, it's what this book said,
Now that I have it, Susie went, do I have to go to bed?
But if you don't go to bed, Mommy asked, not buying Susie's wiles,
What will you do instead, she asked, adding an extra smile.
Susie closed her eyes and thought, for just as long as it took,
She looked up at Mom all excited, Perhaps I'll read this book.

And this is what he wrote for boys:

Didaskaleinphobia, Billy went, it's called a fear of school,
And bibliophobia, the fear of books, I'm sure I have that too,
But then at dinner, Billy said, Sorry Mom, no veggies,
Lachanophobia, the little boy cried, they really make me edgy,
Go help your sister with homework, Mommy said, her head all a-whirl,
Oh no, Billy whimpered, what's the one for girls?

Yeah, I know. Some Red Dragon might be able to balance this out. ~Finn

before - after