Codysseus – Κοδυσσευς: A Geek Travesty by Erudil
Stephen B. Jenkins
The man for wisdom's various arts renown'd,
Long exercised in woes, O Muse! resound;
Wandering from clime to clime, observant stray'd,
Their manners noted, and their states survey'd,
On stormy seas unnumber'd toils he bore,
Safe with his friends to gain his natal shore.
--The Odyssey, Pope's translation
TELL OF THE STORM-TOSSED PROGRAMMER, O
MUSE, who wandered long after years of trial and tribulation within the halls
of Akadēmeia
(Ακαδεμεια),
where many an aspiring coder was laid to rest, never to rise again. Ere our
hero, mighty Codysseus (Κοδυσσευς),
even entered into the fray,
he had fallen in love with, and wed, the beautiful and faithful Perlelope
(Περλελοπη), Queen of the blessed isle Skryptica
(Σκρυπτικα), where life was pleasant and little
effort brought great results, quickly.
Now Perlelope – the fifth of her august
lineage – was a direct descendant of Perlelope-I who was the child of the
immortal "C" (Ση), known throughout the heavens and the
earth for his speed, power, and unforgiving nature, and the mortal Schellia
(Σχελλεια), Queen of the land of Unix
(Υνιξ) and much admired for her quickness and friendliness.
While still a child herself, Perlelope-I found the infant Regex
(Ρεγεξ) wandering lonely in the wild vastness of Unix,
and, immediately perceiving his extraordinary abilities and future strength,
adopted him for her own, bringing him to live with her.
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