They did not expect this
The video contains a reading of the poem followed by four possible alternate endings to the poem. Each alternate ending was written by the student attempting to emulate Scannell's style and form - the first ending is a continuation of the theme of the poem and also ends with "They did not expect this." Each subsequent ending starts with "No, They did not expect this", then proceeds to provide a unique possibility, and then also ends with "They did not expect this."
Alternate Endings
Tommy Antonino
That door shut long ago. The window will not budge
Without some heavy force it will stay shut forever;
They watch the frozen lake outside melt and freeze
But in that house they have air conditioning.
Sitting alone faceless paintings have the most to say
As angels gather dust behind the bookcase
And sweet release creeps in to grant them peace
Eternal neighbors they shall be under dirt.
They did not expect this
Annie Lashinsky
But one day she dragged her eyes from the porcelain cups
And her upward gaze fell upon a photograph:
A young her, a young him, together
At a time before “ennui” was in either’s vocabulary.
And the flowers and chocolates and perfect clichés come to mind
And remind them that affection - and love - can be resurrected,
And whatever brought them together in the first place
Is a force that simply must still exist.
They did not expect this
Madison Copeland
Silence penetrated and suffocated the room
Depression became the third to their dinner party
Their spirits ignited by the hope of an out
So many wrong turns that could only be corrected with a stop
Her plain outfit now adorned with a necklace
His necktie replaced with one of more purpose
Never looking back, the only step needed was one forward
The rope, meant to make knots, the only thing able to untie theirs
They did not expect this
Anna Adams
Holding hands was a feat within itself
Trying to discover once more the meaning
Of the gold that weighed heavily upon their fingers
Pulling away feels more natural than leaning in.
Each willingly broke the sacred pact when pen touched paper
The pawn shop said then was all they’d give
For what was once worth all the money in the world
Now on opposite sides of town lost in a sea of second hand rubbish
They did not expect this.
They did not expect this
Tommy Antonino
That door shut long ago. The window will not budge
Without some heavy force it will stay shut forever;
They watch the frozen lake outside melt and freeze
But in that house they have air conditioning.
Sitting alone faceless paintings have the most to say
As angels gather dust behind the bookcase
And sweet release creeps in to grant them peace
Eternal neighbors they shall be under dirt.
They did not expect this
Annie Lashinsky
But one day she dragged her eyes from the porcelain cups
And her upward gaze fell upon a photograph:
A young her, a young him, together
At a time before “ennui” was in either’s vocabulary.
And the flowers and chocolates and perfect clichés come to mind
And remind them that affection - and love - can be resurrected,
And whatever brought them together in the first place
Is a force that simply must still exist.
They did not expect this
Madison Copeland
Silence penetrated and suffocated the room
Depression became the third to their dinner party
Their spirits ignited by the hope of an out
So many wrong turns that could only be corrected with a stop
Her plain outfit now adorned with a necklace
His necktie replaced with one of more purpose
Never looking back, the only step needed was one forward
The rope, meant to make knots, the only thing able to untie theirs
They did not expect this
Anna Adams
Holding hands was a feat within itself
Trying to discover once more the meaning
Of the gold that weighed heavily upon their fingers
Pulling away feels more natural than leaning in.
Each willingly broke the sacred pact when pen touched paper
The pawn shop said then was all they’d give
For what was once worth all the money in the world
Now on opposite sides of town lost in a sea of second hand rubbish
They did not expect this.
They did not expect this