The Magic Robot

He knew everything,

That little green figurine

on a metal base

a gold wand in his hand .

We’d stand him on the board

inside his metal slot

[ It was all done with magnets ,

I explained to my grandson ]

and point him to what

we wanted to know —

the capital of Mongolia , for instance ,

or what was the longest river in the world ?

Then we’d lift him off

place him on this little mirror

surrounded by answers

on the other board

and watch him go .

He’d wobble a little bit

at first

as though he was thinking

then slowly turn and point

to an answer .

He always got it right .

Kids would come over and we’d run

quiz shows

with the robot as quiz master .

There were lots of questions

on lots of topics .

He knew them all .

Then one day his powers died.

And he knew nothing.

We put him out in the shed.

I never got to ask him the big ones

like what will I be when

I grow up

or when the world end will end

or where animals go

when they die ?

For a long , long time

there was nothing

like him .

The along came something

just as good ,

the internet of course .

That’s the Magic Robot

for these times .

You can ask it any thing

you want

though it still can’t answer

the big ones