He belongs to it
As a citizen of the nation:
Another voice among the crowd,
A plebian shotuing outside the assembly.
Raise up your hands, my compatriots,
And let them hear your opinions!
Is the conduct quiet? Loud?
Have you dampened all other noise out?
Do you have an ear to listen?
It's a re-run made parody
Having been so shoddily done
From being so poorly conceived
By a lack of understanding.

Piece by piece they're pulling us apart
As Time rips, controversy shreds
As they pull us to our separate oceans
We fight each other again

He won't listen to me speak
They won't let me in this room
The world won't even look at me
For I wear the color blue

He who shares my same last name
She who shares my blood
Shun me because I won't wear red
Wish to cut out my tounge

Society as it's walls grow taller
Pray on friendships demise
Watch it's families break apart
Silence neutral cries

Feed us only our own view point
Teach us to hate the other
Those in power who smile big
As intellectuals shudder

Break us down person by person
Teach us through AI
Bright red armed with insults
My faded blues cry

I don't hate you because you have opinions
Don't hate the red blue or even green
I respect you because you're a person
Why can't you do the same for me

The Last Priest smiled his blessings
indiscriminately, bridging,
building a new priesthood
beyond borders, across tribes
ignoring gender, discounting class
blind to race, snubbing rank,
denying privilege and preferring
a new holy nationality
for refugees, for stateless souls
like mine
- like ours

Good Evening, Mr. USA,
                  Awful fine day today, wasn't it? Living up in the great nation of those stars,
And those swagger stripes! I'm happy in the morning, waking up to jazz music. In a place where I'm beaten-down,
    Trodden in awful ways. But here I am, in the God blessed United States! I've been here, seen this, but still I'm dazzled. By freedom,
Knowing I have a place. In the great United States! There's only one place in the world, where you can find your dreams out on the streets.
    They used to say, "The streets are paved in gold!" It's hard to doubt, looking at the way the sidewalk shines in the sun. Don't change a thing Mr. USA, things are just great.

                                  From, MON.

I came to the creek to talk to God,
But I'm not sure God is listening.
I used to see the world through rose-colored glasses,
But now my heart just aches.

I let my tears flow down my cheeks
Like the leaves flowing down the stream.
I release my anger and anguish to the wind
And as I look up and to my left, there a blue heron stands.

Deep breath in.
I watch a chipmunk scurry behind the blue heron
I watch the blue heron watch the chipmunk.
My dog sitting next to me is full of curiosity.

Grief and despair, sadness and rage
And all I can do is sit on this rock
Listening to the flowing waters song
And write some **** poetry.

I feel sick in the depths of my stomach
For my nation, for my neighbors
For so many loved ones.
For my own body and the choices I may no longer be able to make.

The warm sun beating down
Reminds me that it's too warm for November
Our Earth is crying out
And so are we.

I'm not sure what hope feels like in this moment.
I will give my body and mind time and space to grieve.
Grief turned into forward motion
Transmutes into Love.

I came to the creek to talk to God.
But I'm not sure God is listening.
So instead of talking, I will sit in silence
To watch the blue heron, to feel the breeze, and weep.

©KSS 11/6/2024

One of the historical challenges
     Of money is transacting across the
          Borders of our world’s many nations.
               Money in one nation or area is often
                    Not accepted in another nation, and
                         Requires expensive (and controlled)
                              Exchanges in order to transfer value
                                   Therefore
                              We need a digitally native, borderless
                        Money permitting near-instantaneous
                   Global transfers of value. This peer to
               Peer electronic cash system is now
          Operating successfully, started in
     2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto. This
Is the truly open Bitcoin Network.

There once was a beautiful goddess that was burdened by fighting in a war between gods. There, she met an arrogant god, who wanted to serve authority over a land the goddess loved. To protect her land, she killed the god, but was eternally cursed by him, so in the end, nobody would remember her. Nevertheless, the people that lived in the nation she saved venerated her, making the goddess their new found leader. Since many more gods and goddesses were killed off during this time, some losing memory of her as well because of the curse, she decided to retire as the goddess she had been and remain as a mortal. The cursed one would live in solitude, but still complete her duties as a leader. She had promised herself to never have any true relations with anyone, for it was not worth them losing memories of her. One day, she was tasked with a speech to her citizens, that would only temporarily remember her. While walking through the streets, a tired, female merchant bumped into the cursed. The cursed helped the merchant, who was struck with fear after walking into her very own leader. The kind merchant then exchanged her thanks, and the cursed one continued onto her speech. While she spoke about miscellaneous affairs in the nation, the citizens stared at her in awe. Suddenly, a god towered down on the nation. The mortal, still possessing her goddess-like strength, though not in the form anymore, calmed her citizens down by promising to protect them and everything they had achieved. Oh, but the cursed was terrified, for she did not know the worth of everything, even herself. One day, she stood in a large field, looking up at the sky, hoping for an idea, any idea, that would come to her on how to stop the violent god. Her worried expression caught the eye of another god, who floated down from the clouds. He had the kindest eyes she had ever seen, and the cursed fell in love with the beautiful god. The two talked, and he helped her come up with a plan to stop the violent god. Even more in love, the cursed one and the kind god parted with smiles. The following week, the nation's leader was tasked with yet another speech, this one to talk about the war. While walking through the same street, she noticed the kind merchant from before. The cursed one waved at the merchant, but she returned a confused expression and walked away. The cursed one paid no attention and went to her speech. Not as many citizens showed up, but she assumed it was because they were seeking shelter. As the cursed was about to give her speech, the violent god demanded to fight right then and there. She followed him to the field where she met the kind god, the one she unfortunately loved. The god began his attacks, but the former goddess just barely dodged them. However, her mortal qualities could never suffice to the one of a god, and she began to falter. In the distance, she saw the kind god. She yelled and called his name as she fought. He had a puzzled expression on his face as he asked the cursed one if he knew her. Her heart broke as she realized the curse had finally started to have its effect, and he had forgotten her. Frozen in place, the violent god put all of his strength into the final blow which killed the former goddess. As she lay there, dead and heartbroken, her soul materialized into one of a ghost. She watched the violent god seize her people and nation from a distance. And she watched for years, as one by one, they had forgotten she ever existed.