Scan

 

 

 Just four letters

But a wide array of uses,

You’d better get the context right

To avoid any abuses.

 

English is complex

And the reason is clear,

A word can mean many things

So please be aware.

 

Similarly, so is scan

As in “scan the document”

And even this is ambiguous:

Not of clear intent.

 

 

It could well mean

For printing some copies

Or to quickly read it through

If one is in a hurry.

 

Nightly I praise God

As I scan the night sky,

Yes, honour, praise and glory

To God Most High.

 

 

There is the CT scan

Also known as a CAT scan:

An Xray device that doctors use

To see inside of man.

 

Or the security scan

Used to test for metal

Like guns, knives and devices

That can be lethal.

 

Scan can be cursory

Or scan can be intense

Like the kind of scanners used

In a country’s defense.

 

Scan can be sweeping

Or just a glance through

But a surgeon’s minute scan

Determines his view.

 

You can scan this poem

Or read it through,

Whichever one you decide on,

That’s your view.

 

2Chronicles 6:9

 

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro

Throughout the whole earth,

To shew himself strong in the behalf of them

Whose heart is perfect toward him.

Stewart Russell © January 4, 2025