a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
lil  ·  4403 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: I've been gone for a few weeks; what have I missed?  ·  

    Nothing. When you are not present how could something significant occur?

Welcome back. I will answer your question with this poem. Imagine the words "course" or "class" or "classroom" are "website" and it will pretty much fit.

Did I Miss Anything? by Tom Wayman

Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here we sat with our hands folded on our desks in silence, for the full two hours

     Everything. I gave an exam worth
     40 percent of the grade for this term
     and assigned some reading due today
     on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
     worth 50 percent
Nothing. None of the content of this course has value or meaning Take as many days off as you like: any activities we undertake as a class I assure you will not matter either to you or me and are without purpose

     Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
     a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
     or other heavenly being appeared
     and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
     to attain divine wisdom in this life and
     the hereafter
     This is the last time the class will meet
     before we disperse to bring the good news to all people
          on earth.
Nothing. When you are not present how could something significant occur?

     Everything. Contained in this classroom
     is a microcosm of human experience
     assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
     This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
          gathered

     but it was one place

     And you weren’t here
From Did I Miss Anything? Selected Poems 1973-1993, 1993 Harbour Publishing