Here's to You, No. 2

In Honor of the No. 2 Pencil

You may begin.

One of twenty, but you were the favored one.
Right in the middle, so versatile, you.

Engineers preferred your harder brothers and sisters,
while artsy types leaned toward you and your softer siblings.
9B was pretty far out, but you were just right.

Helping kids make their first marks on walls,
print their names, add, subtract, multiply, and divide,
you've been through it all. And you helped
decide their futures-SAT, ACT, GRE.

File clerks loved you as much for your other end,
and you helped calm nerves as teeth marks
on your slender body will attest.

We wear you down, but you keep on
going until you're too short.

Even then, we can't bear to say goodbye,
letting you languish in the junk drawer instead.
So here's to you, No. 2!
Thanks for being there when we needed you.

Pencils down!