The Terrible Trivium asks
a terribly trivial task. 

Milo, move the sand from here to here (with tweezers)

So Milo moved a grain of sand
and Milo moved a second (or a minute or an hour)
and Milo moved a third and fourth
and days and weeks unreckoned. (If only he had such a power)
And after quite a while
he’d barely made a pile.

You can count to stupendous amounts
and you can count them back down to one,
But you’ll have found in the end if it counts
Or if your progress amounts to none.
It might be easy, and it might be fun
But you can count on getting nothing done.

The Terrible Trivium asks
two terribly trivial tasks.
Milo, move the sand from here to here (with tweezers)
Tock, transfer the water well to well (with an eyedropper)

So Tock picked up a drop of water
and moved from well to well (or well too badly)
and Tock ticked through the seconds and third
for how long, he could not tell. (he did it gladly)
and while much time went by,
the well was still quite dry.

You can count to stupendous amounts,
and you can count them back down to one
But you’ll have found in the end if it counts
Or if your progress amounts to none.
It might be easy, and it might be fun,
but you can count on getting nothing done.

The Terrible Trivium asks
three terribly trivial tasks.
Milo, move the sand from here to here (with tweezers)
Tock, transfer the water well to well (with an eyedropper)
Humbug, dig a hole right through the cliff (with a needle)

The Humbug made a scratch in the cliff
And whistled absentminded (his mind’s not there)
and Humbug made a third and a fourth and a fifth
He really didn’t mind it (he did not care)
His whole mind went quite numb,
His hole could fit a thumb…

You can count to stupendous amounts,
and you can count them back down to one
But you’ll have found in the end if it counts
Or if your progress amounts to none.
It might be easy, and it might be fun,
but you can count on getting nothing done.

You can count to stupendous amounts,
and you can count them back down to one
But you’ll have found in the end if it counts
Or if your progress amounts to none.
It might be easy, and it might be fun,
but you can count on getting nothing done.

It might be easy, and it might be fun,
but you can count on getting nothing done.