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The Entrance Exam

I sat ready to take the Entrance Exam Determined to give it my very best shot Hoping my answers would get me in But worried that they may not I looked around at the others in the room Already deeply buried in the text Some quickly scribbling their answers down While others seemed terribly vexed One tester yelled, “This isn’t fair” “These aren’t the questions I studied for!” I saw two others tear the test in half And fall crying on the floor Cheaters caught looking at another’s exam Where quickly escorted out I was ready to open my test booklet Suddenly filled with horrible doubt I know I got the first question right “What is your name?”, is all that it read But I wasn’t prepared for the second one “When was it that they found you dead?” I knew then just what this exam was for And what place I was testing to get in I took a deep breath, prepared for the worse And turned the next page to begin There were no questions about what is in the bible Or how often to church I went There were no questions regarding any religion at all Or how my Sundays I had spent There were no questions about the Ten Commandments Or about using God’s name in vain There were no questions regarding prayers that were said And no dogma for me to explain There was just one question in the middle of the page Answer it truthfully, I knew that I should I reread that question about twenty times, “Did you do all the good that you could?” Suddenly I was awakened by a beeping sound And a doctor saying, “We’ve got him back” The Entrance Exam I will have to retake Because I didn’t die from that heart attack But now that I had a look at that test I know what I need to do to be better prepared So the next time I sit in the Examiner’s room I can write about all of the people for which I had cared

Copyright © | Year Posted 2012




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Date: 3/11/2012 1:36:00 PM
terrific title and a wonderful poem. i was wondering what the exam was for and you surprised me with the answer. very clever! (i think the expression "in vain" is spelled "vain" instead of "vane," though).
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Flach Avatar
Joe Flach
Date: 3/12/2012 12:36:00 AM
Thanks Ilene for catching my error!
Date: 3/10/2012 7:57:00 PM
An exam you'll pass for sure Joe.. just not for a long long time I hope. I really like the message in your lines xxx
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Book: Reflection on the Important Things