All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
The Tragedy of Toast
Poor, scared, shaking little toast,
You were born into a horrible place
Where all you were meant to do, is roast!
For humans love the way you taste
And day after day, as the sun crested over the black crow wings
I committed the heinous crime that ended with a simple “ding!”
I, myself, am man’s creation
But still my actions have hurt you, burned you
Even if I had no say in your devastation,
Despite it all, I always knew
I knew what I was doing, but I did not stop, I did no such thing
For how was I to stop? I was a machine made to “ding!”
Even so, I am forever sorry
For the part I had in turning all you bread to toast
To be sure, I would always dread when light leaked into the sky so starry
For that is when I knew it was time for you to roast
The humans would dance and in mockery they would sing
As in my fiery belly, you burned and burned until that evil “ding!”
The years past by and my guilt and sorrow only grew
I grew accustomed to the humans cranking my lever
Filling my belly with a fire to torture you
And I realized: you and I are doomed forever
Trapped, with no way of stopping
And I, the instrument that sounds your demise with an innocent “ding!”
With all the time I had alone, my thoughts did wander
Before the humans woke and wanted toast
I realized I am not the one who is a monster
Not me, no, the humans are evil and now I am but a ghost
For you and I are the same in our suffering that burns and stings
You the tortured and I the unwilling torturer who wishes and wishes not to “ding!”
It took a toll on me, being the machine that had hurt so many
Even if I knew I was innocent, I couldn’t live that life
And so, one night I gathered all my strength and spun my lever until it broke
The fire in my belly swelled to consume me until it was red hot as a knife
And then the humans were there, angry and cursing
And I was the machine that would no longer “ding!”
Morning came and the humans were furious
For there was nothing to heat their beloved bread
They raged and raged and threw me into the trash, unceremonious
I was triumphant until I saw their faces and down sank dread
For the humans had brought out their money and bling
Within a few hours, they were back with a newer machine that would “ding!”
You and I are long gone, yet nothing has changed with our world so rotten
The humans have replaced me, and more bread is burned
My efforts for justice have been all but forgotten
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, evil cannot be unlearned
And so we will forever be: “The Toast that burned and the Toaster that dinged”
“ding… ding… ding… DING… DING!… DING!!!”
Similar Articles
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 0 comments.