| Memories of the P(SA) Rebellion |
| 'Twas the night before New Year's, and all through the boards Happy posters were everywhere of one accord "Open the presents! What is that shape Utterly sandwiched in cellophane tape?" Great folks and small folks and livestock - er, cavalry Had just gathered round for a long evening's revelry; The Forcemas cake, long a memory (but not out of mind), Shared by all, it continues to surround and to bind. From the tips of the rafters to the edge of the door One and all buried in presents galore Rustles and ribbons and wrappings and bow All quickly torn from their secret bestow. Now come later arrivals, even some from new homes Enarmed with new presents and many with poems: Where wrapping? where ribbon? where tape? whither bow? MacTusken's still missing - we can't start the show! One-fan, get the pudding, Antilles, the Commander Only watch for his gaffi when he's in a dander, Naw Ibo the portable stand for OB And Grasshopper - no, Rhui Chatar - get the tree! New faces and old tearing wrap 'round the fire Drowned in the packaging wrapped with desire An Easi-Kilted Tien Lung abruptly throws up a wall: "No presents I see here of substance at all!" "Eh, what's that?" blinks Seyrah. "You cannot be serious. Why must you every time be so mysterious?" Marcating her words in a manner imperious: "I think you have a fever. You must be delirious! Look at your presents from sisters and fraters, Look, and then tell me that none of it matters! Easi-Kilts, volumes, indexers, a game, Now still will you name it no substance the same?" "No substance?" echoes Eowyn. "I think I see what you mean. If our postings are nothing but words on a screen - Uhm - we have nothing to give you of value, 'tis true � Might our words on a screen stand for presents in lieu?" "All these presents! For what do we shop till we drop? Let a thing, some words, symbol, itself be a stop?" Long Jaro stares, from a dawning point of view: "Tien Lung?" came the question, and was answered, "That, too. How can I not value what each of you brings Each in themself, a value far greater than things? Beth's straightforward frankness, Sir Henry's true grit, Ecthelion's honour, Rhui Chatar's dry wit. Seyrah with RebelCon plans all afluster Though MacTusken as yet still unable to muster, A StarTours, I Timberwolf, R�ka, and Dream, Lack I but the space to cite each of the team. What each one is willing to give, each receives And so much you can give if you'll only believe, Yet you give presents amongst you of pixels and beams: Surrogate software for self, and for dreams. So how did a friendship grow into a mall? How did a symbol become one and all? And since value rests solely on our point of view: Really, the value rests purely in you." Kida stepped out the door with a dry amused smile (In being mistletoe-kissed in the Grasshopper style), Dropped a white rose at the portal, stepped into the sun, And turned, and added, "Above all, have fun!" |
| � 2001 Kyle Altis. All rights reserved. |