The Old Pencil Speaks - July 6, 2026

too much greasy finger pinching has

polished my yellow-painted wood

so much I’m slippery to hold

but if you must use me

press firmly, harder than normal

so I may write legibly

like I did in my youth

my lead, once coal soft

is now as hard as obsidian

so I’m sluggish on paper, needing

frequent rests with meager results

I really prefer to stay at home

in his cup of writing instruments

that’s where I’m comfortable,

watching the world channeled

through those fancy gel pens

and slick mechanical pencils

gosh, never thought I’d see the day,

when pencils weren’t made of wood

and never needed sharpening