The monkey crossed himself
Before hesitantly opening his laptop,
Scared about what he'd find.
He brought up his browser
And flipped to Google.
"How to end it all with a smile..."
The results appeared
And cascaded down his screen.
Lost in the mists of advertising
The monkey was desperate for
Some kind of meaning.
Google couldn't provide that,
But neither could his life.
Slamming the computer shut,
The monkey resigned himself
To his inevitable fate
Swinging on the end of a rope.

Erasmus, Dutch philosopher and christian humanist, was born today in 1466.

Bill Gates, American businessman and philanthropist, was born on this day in 1955.

Ted Hughes, English poet and writer, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1984 until his death on this day in 1998.