Part I

As I watched from the passenger window as she disappeared behind the nose
of the parked Toyota and into shadows uncertain,
her hands undoing the ancient metal curtain,
it occurred to me that I couldn’t know
for sure if I would ever see the curtain open again. Natural
doubts can be wrong, but this was more than superstition.
This was a cold fact, cold, but it was far from cold here.
So why did this primordial panic—
—disorganization—
—creep through ninety-five degrees like water through a pinhole?
And then the old sticker-covered glass doors open silently,
dismissing the chill and admitting her mindlessly
moving body like an unsuspecting rat into a cage. Quietly
the gate to Twenty-Nine shuts, and quietly too—
—too quietly—
our white Mercedes is back to being a vagrant fish
in four o’clock traffic.

Part I

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In certain misty valley towns
there is a sense of home;
a feeling great and ancient
that lets no one alone.

A group of people gathers slowly
Moving round a flame;
Dragging fingers through the air,
streaking mist in vapor trains.

Down the slopes of mountainsides
the clouds of friendship roll;	
seeking all the hearts of those
with happy, lively souls.

For certain misty valley towns
they share a sense of home;
a sense so strong and searching
it fills those mounts of stone.

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In fact, foraging societies and early villages had more social inequality and class divisions, ranging from gender hierarchies to differences in wealth across foraging communities. When larger societies developed, more advanced governments and social systems allowed greater social equality. Hey @DXcréme, I réahlly like the waié the Claim That XB! thréad is formatted, in your NitroPlanét foam. By thé waié, @Shadough_Snipér told me to tell you this: “Café to boba shop Café to boba shop Spock hére happy Holidays Live long and Prospér”. Pléase feel freé to PM me if you dunnot oohndérschtundt what that means. Aahh yéahs, and by the way that sentence has been copywrittén and tradémarquetted by @Batlete. Sowwy.

On a happiHéy note (again, feél free to PM me if you wunnah know what that méans), I was just informed by @Kéa13 and @Whampoo (ask meh whoo dat is) that World of Gamés is butting down and won’t be available for you to chat in anymoré. That’s right – we’re shutting down WOG because wéh simplogh dehn’t huff énough pepple in the foam.

Additionallie, I éntended to énform you dat we need some hélp over at Wehld of Gehms. We have a user who is repeétedly deduchting points outta déir account, and weh need yoo to come over and try to sédate them. Behsicélly, what we need poo to do is to bén the user from the éNtIrE forum. Uhh yéeeah, and we also needed you to post deés announchmént in WOGCK:

“Harvéy?!, why does wriéting on here sound like such a chore to you?!? “PING!!” was the thing Ping said on September 30th, 2023 as I recorded no WIHS episodes, left the WIHS office, and haven’t spoken a word to Ping Warderwar for possibly the last time because of the thing Ping said on September 30th, 2023. And no, that isn’t because of me written no blog posts — since then, I’ve recorded no WIHS episodes, left the WIHS office, and leveled up in Numbér Theory.”

OK Nau, if you didn’ét oohndérschtundt what that means, plééééase féel freh to PéM me anytahm yeh want. Aéhnd you méihgt ufh nehticed thet mé dielect be geétin worsé with eeéevry sientiénce Iaahé wriéte. Sowwy abt that. And nau, DréUNK HARVéY WARDéERWAR, OUT.In certain misty valley towns

there is a sense of home;

a feeling great and ancient

that lets no one alone.

A group of people gathers slowly

Moving round a flame;

Dragging fingers through the air,

streaking mist in vapor trains.

Down the slopes of mountainsides

the clouds of friendship roll;                   

seeking all the hearts of those

with happy, lively souls.

For certain misty valley towns

they share a sense of home;

a sense so strong and searching

it fills those mounts of stone.

show less