I’ll take a clue from the loverly Ms P.

Some of the greatest minds in online combat strategy are having a pre-combat regroup before entering the next war zone. They’re calculating survival statistics and confirming tactics – Leroy has other plans…

—START TRANSCRIPT—

Player 1: [talking to teammates outside cave] OK guys, these eggs have given us a lot of trouble in the past, uh does anybody need anything off this guy or can we bypass him?

Player 2: Uhh, I think Leeroy needs something from this guy.
Player 1: Oh, does he need those Devout Shoulders? Doesn’t – isn’t he a paladin?
Player 2: Yeah, but that will help him heal better, he’ll have more mana.
Player 1: [sighs] Christ. OK, uhh well what we’ll do, I’ll run in first, uh gather up all the eggs, we can kinda just, ya know blast them all down with AOE. Um, I will use Intimidating Shout, to kinda scatter’em, so we don’t have to fight a whole bunch of them at once. Uhh, when my Shouts are done, uhh, I’ll need Anfrony to come in and drop his Shout too, uh so we can keep them scattered and not have to fight too many. Um, when his is done, Bass of course will need to run in and do the same thing. Uhh, we’re gonna need Divine Intervention on our mages, uhh so they can, uhh, AE, uh so we can of course get them down fast, cause we’re bringing all these guys, I mean, we’ll be in trouble if we don’t take them down quick. Uhh I
think this is a pretty good plan, we should be able to pull it off this time. Uhh, what do you think Abduhl? Can you give me a number crunch real quick?

Abduhl: Uhhh.. yeah gimme a sec… I’m coming up with thirty-two point three three, repeating of course, percentage, of survival.
Player 1: That’s a lot better than we usually do, uhh, alright, you think we’re ready guys? [interrupted]
Leeroy: All right chums, I’m (back)! Let’s do this! LEEROOOOOOOY JEEENKIIIIIINSSS!!! [runs into cave]
-Short pause-
Player 2: [incredulous] … Oh my God he just ran in. [runs in]

Player 1: Save him! Oh jeez, stick to the plan. Oh jeez, let’s go, let’s go! [follows]
Player 1 [laughing]: Stick to the plan guys, stick to the plan!
Player 1: Oh jeez, oh fuck. [Indistinguishable]: Gimme a Divine Intervention, hurry up.

Player 1: Shoutin’!
Player 3: I can’t cast! I can’t move, am I lagging, guys? I can’t move!
Player 1: What the—what the hell?
[Another Player]: I can’t AE!

Player 3: I can’t move!
Player 1: Oh my God…
[Another Player]: The eggs keep respawning! More respawning!!
[Indistinguishable]: I don’t think you can cast with that shit on!

[Another player]: Oh my God!
Leeroy: We got em, we got em! I got it, I got it.
Player 2: Take it off! Take it off! [muffled shouts]
Player 1: Stay down, Stay down. Oh my God..

Player 1: Goddamnit Leeroy! Goddamn it…
[Various others]: Yeah, Leeroy you moron, Leeroy! [various put-downs of Leeroy amongst group]
Player 1: Listen, this is ridiculous.
[Indistinguishable]: You dumbass.

Leeroy: I’m on it.
Player 1: I’m down, Forekin down. Goddamnit. [shouting, then a pause, followed by other put-downs] Why do you do this shit, Leeroy?
[Another Player]: Spiffy, rez us! Spiffy, rez us!
Player 2: I’m trying!

Leeroy [crying]: It’s not my fault!
Player 1: Who’s Soulstoned? We do have a Soulstone up, don’t we?
[everyone dies] Think I need a Soulstone?
Player 2: Yeah but you need a Warlock.
Player 2 [noticing everybody is dead]: … Oh God…

Player 1: Oh for – [sighs] Great job! For Christ’s sake!
[indistinguishable - possibly "I tried"] Leeroy, you are just stupid as hell.
[Loopy]: Oh my God…
Leeroy: … At least I have chicken…

—END TRANSCRIPT—

Leeeeeeeeroooooyyy Jenkinnnnnnnnnnnns !

Funny ass shit, man.

- –
Okay,

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the day President Bush announced from the Oval Office the “opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign” to invade Iraq.

As a homeless man, I was never allowed the opportunity to vote.

As I became aware of the political process, and not just as some childhood fascination which held my attention, and held it fast like a child finding pornography for the first time, I became aware of what was really at stake. I was at stake. Me. I was. Not who I am, but literally me. This was to be a game with very high stakes indeed.

I refused to play.
My vote will never be cast.

Since I have not participated in voting, it’s rare I make any statement whatsoever regarding Politkkks. I write poems, some good, many miserable, and amatureish, slamming themselves against the world with a hopeless vain attempt at making sense of the blind rage, confusion, hopelessness, despair, heartache and humorlessness I see painted on the walls of today, yesterday and tomorrow. Poetry matters where my vote did not.

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the day President Bush announced from the Oval Office the “opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign” to invade Iraq.

What poem can stand up against a force which defied world protests and demanded blood from human beings to profit a select few with monetary gains?

I feel sadness in the world.
I feel heartache in the world.
I feel confusion, hopelessness, and blind rage in the world.

Poetry still matters.
My vote never will.

- –
Okay,

If you want blood. . . you got it.

- –
Okay,

you won’t see them often
for wherever the crowd is
they
are not.

those odd ones, not
many
but from them
come
the few
good paintings
the few
good symphonies
the few
good books
and other
works.

and from the
best of the
strange ones
perhaps
nothing.

they are
their own
paintings
their own
books
their own
music
their own
work.

sometimes I think
I see
them – say
a certain old
man
sitting on a
certain bench
in a certain
way

or
a quick face
going the other
way
in a passing
automobile

or
there’s a certain motion
of the hands
of a bag-boy or a bag-
girl
while packing
supermarket
groceries.

sometimes
it is even somebody
you have been
living with
for some
time -
you will notice
a
lightning quick
glance
never seen
from them
before.

sometimes
you will only note
their
existence
suddenly
in
vivid
recall
some months
some years
after they are
gone.

I remember
such a
one -
he was about
20 years old
drunk at
10 a.m.
staring into
a cracked
New Orleans
mirror

facing dreaming
against the
walls of
the world

where
did I
go?

…it never gets old.

- –
Okay,

I adore Kimya Dawson.
I do… I do… I do… I do!

- –
Okay,

I have met ungrateful people in my life.
I have been an ungrateful person in my life.

I have met thieves, cowards, liars, cheats, hustlers, con artists,
and I have been all of those.

This one time I will not bow to the easy way out.
This one time I will take the high road, and I will give credit where credit
is due. I will look the fool, and be proud that for once I am not
a thief, hustler, con artist, coward, liar, or a cheat.

There is a man who changed the world of Poetry forever.
He took the academic, and brought it to the world of everyone.

He wrote simply about the most common of moments, making his simple writing look easy.

There have been many who have come after him, standing in his shadow, and on top of his shoulders looking farther up there than they could have ever seen on their own. Then they brush the compliments they receive off of themselves like so much dandruff, and don’t pay Bukowski any tribute.

I am not one of those afraid to mention his name:

Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski

He changed poetry.
He changed me.

Henry Charles Bukowski died on March 9th, in 1994.

- –
Okay,

- –
Okay,