Scriptorium Beginnings

Much ink has spilled upon the pupil's page,

He glassy eyed and gawking at the stains.

The babel dropped to fit into some cage

Of paint by number.  Trashing trash he fain

Would do, if something simple, something true,

If something beautiful, if something good,

If something timeless he could practice too.

Let every subject have his proper food.

So after twenty years of seeking that

Which blesses both teacher and the child,

I wrote a book with blessings others lacked:

Progymnasmata is the way it's styled.

So long as ears can hear and eyes can see,

So long lives this and this gives life to thee.