Lament for the Procrastinators

They never feel that they can be early,
that motivation can call to them
before it is almost too late.
When they think of their projects, they say,
"There will be time to do it later."

If ever they pick up their pencils
before the final hours,
their minds become as blank
as the paper they stare at;
their fingers tremble and the pencil falls.

They shake their heads derisively at the prospect
of doing something before it is necessary,
of wasting valuable time that could be spent
doing something much less important
(and therefore much more entertaining.)

Rising from the table with sighs of dreadful anticipation,
they turn their backs on the assignment and walk away,
casting a mournful glance at the blank paper
and the unused pencil sprawled across it:
The blue lines will receive their payment in lead... eventually.