Here’s to the people who know how to run things: “People who society
\nallows to get kicked around like slaves for no reason other than because
\nthey know what they’re doing… a mind-set that makes no fscking sense to
\nme. I mean… the sheep bleat and trample us… because *we’re* the ones
\nwho know how to keep their precious sites and blogs and e-mail running?” (Steed in ASR).<\/p>\n
\nThe Sons of Martha<\/b>
\nRudyard Kipling 1907<\/p>\nThe sons of Mary seldom bother, for they have inherited
\n that good part;
\nBut the Sons of Martha favour their Mother of the
\n careful soul and the troubled heart.
\nAnd because she lost her temper once, and because she
\n was rude to the Lord her Guest,
\nHer Sons must wait upon Mary’s Sons, world without
\n end, reprieve, or rest.
\nIt is their care in all the ages to take the buffet and
\n cushion the shock.
\nIt is their care that the gear engages; it is their care that
\n the switches lock.
\nIt is their care that the wheels run truly; it is their care
\n to embark and entrain,
\nTally, transport, and deliver duly the Sons of Mary by
\n land and main.<\/p>\nThey say to mountains, “Be ye removed.” They say to
\n the lesser floods, “Be dry.”
\nUnder their rods are the rocks reproved-they are not
\n afraid of that which is high.
\nThen do the hill-tops shake to the summit-then is the
\n bed of the deep laid bare,
\nThat the Sons of Mary may overcome it, pleasantly
\n sleeping and unaware.
\nThey finger death at their gloves’ end where they piece
\n and repiece the living wires.
\nHe rears against the gates they tend: they feed him hungry
\n behind their fires.
\nEarly at dawn, ere men see clear, they stumble into
\n his terrible stall,
\nAnd hale him forth a haltered steer, and goad and turn
\n him till evenfall.
\nTo these from birth is Belief forbidden; from these till
\n death is Relief afar.
\nThey are concerned with matters hidden – under the
\n earthline their altars are-
\nThe secret fountains to follow up, waters withdrawn to
\n restore to the mouth,
\nAnd gather the floods as in a cup, and pour them again
\n at a city’s drouth.<\/p>\nThey do not preach that their God will rouse them a
\n little before the nuts work loose.
\nThey do not teach that His Pity allows them to drop
\n their job when they dam’-well choose.
\nAs in the thronged and the lighted ways, so in the dark
\n and the desert they stand,
\nWary and watchful all their days that their brethren’s
\n day may be long in the land.<\/p>\nRaise ye the stone or cleave the wood to make a path
\n more fair or flat –
\nLo, it is black already with blood some Son of Martha
\n spilled for that!
\nNot as a ladder from earth to Heaven, not as a witness
\n to any creed,
\nBut simple service simply given to his own kind in their
\n common need.<\/p>\nAnd the Sons of Mary smile and are blessed – they
\n know the Angels are on their side.
\nThey know in them is the Grace confessed, and for
\n them are the Mercies multiplied.
\nThey sit at the Feet – they hear the Word – they see
\n how truly the Promise runs.
\nThey have cast their burden upon the Lord, and – the
\n Lord He lays it on Martha’s Sons!\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThis poem is part of the ritual of Calling the Engineer<\/a>. I am not an Engineer, but as a programmer and, especially, a systems administrator, I know the feeling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here’s to the people who know how to run things: “People who society allows to get kicked around like slaves for no reason other than because they know what they’re doing… a mind-set that makes no fscking sense to me. I mean… the sheep bleat and trample us… because *we’re* the ones who know how … Continue reading “The Sons of Martha”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balafon.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}