Interlude: The Last Bug

Nearly every developer is obsessive about fixing bugs that have been found in his or her program. There's even a famous aphorism that says no program is ever actually finished, the developer just stops working on it. Sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s, an aspiring poet decided to commemorate this obsession in entertaining verse. There are various versions of this poem floating about on the Internet, so I've tried to compile the most complete version.

The Last Bug

"But you're out of your mind,"
They said with a shrug
"The customer is happy,
What's one little bug?"

But he was determined
As others went home
He spread out the program
Deserted, alone

The cleaning men came
The room became cluttered
With memory dumps
"I'm close now," he muttered

Chain-smoking, cold coffee,
With logic, deduction ,
"I've got it!" he cried
"Just change this instruction!"

Then change two, then change more
As day followed night
There was a solution
He would get it right

It still wasn't perfect
As year followed year
And strangers would comment
"Is that guy still here?"

He died at the console
Of hunger and thirst
Next day he was buried
Face down, nine edge first

His wife, through her tears
Accepted his fate
"He's not really gone,
He's just working late."

And the last bug in sight
An ant passing by
Saluted his tombstone
And whispered "Nice try!"