ERB: Machine v/s Human in a Go match!

Machine:

In a garden where cherry blossoms sway,

Two feline masters began to play.

 

 

With whiskers twitched and tails held high,

Each move on the board made cherry blossoms fly.

Grey fur and tortoise, side by side,

In this game of go, there's no place to hide.

  

Paws placed stones with a graceful dance,

In this epic match, who'd take a chance?

The koi in the pond gave a curious glance,

At the intense game and the cats' trance.

 

For in this serene and peaceful scene,

Two cats played go, like it's never been seen!

 

Human:

Suddenly a sound! A window shattered!
The cats leaped up, and the stones were scattered.

The silly Go board now hardly mattered.
The shoji was torn. The floorboards clattered.

As the koi in the pond scurried in fright,
with a "MEAOW!", a black cat entered in sight.

"Hi, I'm Jack!", he said, with a grin,
with leaves of catnip adorning his chin.

"Don't you worry!", he purred daintily, with flair.
"I've brought a treat, for us to share."

He pulled out a baggie, and he did declare,
as he held it up, "You put your weed in there!"

"Let's get high. Forget our cares.
Forget this game, of Black & White."

"Crank up the dub with all its might!
Why are you cats always so serious!"

"It's just me, but that is simply hilarious.
Sniff the herb. Let's get delirious!"

But as Jack moved closer, the cats retreated.

Their hackles were up, and the atmosphere heated.

 

"Why so rude?", Jack said, confused.
A cat spoke up, to give him a clue:

 

"Cut out that scary banter." 
"You may be a cat, Jack. 

But you're also a Black Panther!"

The Machines Rule US! ( A Poem )

The corporation secures the government.

If the corporation falls,

the government falls.

If the government falls,

the corporation falls.

The government protects the corporation.

The corporation knows everything about the government.

The government helps the corporation know everything about netizens.

The government could not move to another corporation.

There's no need.

There is only one entity.

The corporation uses AI to secure data.

AI snoops, tattles, judges, and punishes.

The last defense of this entity is AI.

The Machines rule us!

Parasites ( A poem )

 The robber baron hoarded all the food,

while the peasants lived hand-to-mouth.

They had finally had enough and gathered in a mob

And stormed the robber baron’s mansion 

Surrounding him with torches and pitchforks 

They demanded that everyone in the village be fed.

The robber baron was a cunning man.

He addressed the crowd,

 “Oh, this wealth?

It’s all for you!

You see, I am planning to leave 90% of it to you,

After I die.”

This drew gasps from the crowd.

They backed away.

“He’s such a generous man!”

They exclaimed in delight.

The robber baron continued,

“And, and these mosquitoes…

…they can kill people.

That’s why I will work to eradicate malaria.”

The crowd wowed,

“He’s a dedicated philanthropist!

Spending his own money to save our lives.”

The crowd apologized to the robber baron,

Thanked him for his generosity,

And was about to turn back.

Suddenly a boy spoke up.

He was not from this village.

“Malaria doesn’t kill.

I have had malaria several times!

It’s a harmless disease that is easily treated.

With proper food, medicine, and rest,

Malaria takes its course and then goes away.

Malaria doesn’t kill.

Poverty does.

The rich don’t die of malaria, only the poor.

So think again about who the real parasites are.”

Tribal Evolution ( A Poem )

Once upon a time,

there was a tribe that lived in a village,

deep in the rainforest.

According to the tribal tradition,

when a woman became pregnant,

she was thrown out of the village.

She would have to fend for herself in the jungle,

give birth, and raise her baby.

If she, and optionally her child, survived,

they would be welcomed back into the village,

exactly a year after being expelled.

This tradition served the tribe well,

as it had survival value.

One such girl had a fiery temper.

As she was being kicked out of the village,

she swore an oath.

She would give birth,

raise her baby,

and never return to the village.

She would find other pregnant women

who were cast out,

and help them.

Over time, a new tribe formed,

with kinder, gentler values.

However, none of them had forgotten

what was done to them.

One night, when the older tribe was asleep,

the new tribe

( they called themselves the "punks" )

attacked them,

slit their throats in their sleep,

and burned down their village.

The world was a much nicer place after that,

and they all lived happily ever after.

Why Tommy Hates Celebrations

 

 

Tommy is a German Shepherd, raised to be an Army dog. Tommy was sent to war with his human handler. After he returned from war, Tommy was suddenly declared a hero and thrust into the limelight.

A big celebration was held for Tommy. There was a parade with roaring crowds. There was a champagne ceremony on a stage. Tommy was a peace loving dog, and didn't like all this noise. Then, there were fireworks. This set off Tommy's PTSD, triggering memories of the explosions he had seen on the battlefield. Tommy went berserk, whimpering, trying to hide his head. He could not understand why all these people were being so mean to him. Someone bent down to put a medal around Tommy's neck, and Tommy tore into the man's hand. There was shock! Here is a mad dog, not a hero at all!

Then suddenly, a tall figure rose from the crowd and walked to the stage with a slight limp. Tommy recognized his handler, John Rambo, and leaped into his arms. Rambo held Tommy close, covered his ears, and comforted him.

Medics rushed to the stage, to provide first-aid to the General whose bloody hand Tommy had just mutilated. Police arrived to try to muzzle Tommy and take him away to be exterminated. This was not a nice dog at all, a terror to civilized society.

Before they could touch Tommy, Rambo pulled out the large serrated knife that he had carried in the battlefield. He held the knife visibly in his muscular fist, and calmly stared into the eyes of the policemen. The police backed off right away. They weren't paid to handle this kind of problem.

Rambo led Tommy away from the jeering crowds and into the cab of his muddy old pick-up truck. As he drove off, Rambo yelled at the crowd, "Find yourself some other excuse to get drunk, you sickos! Leave my animal out of it!"

Rambo took Tommy to his lakeside cabin in the woods. He led Tommy to the lake, and watched him rush into the water, splashing playfully, happy as a puppy. Rambo lit a campfire, and dried off Tommy. Then he gave Tommy a large bone to chew on, and gently petted his soft fur. That's all Tommy ever wanted. Tommy and Rambo sat quietly under the starry skies, delighting in their warm, intimate friendship, away from the insanity of war, and far from the madding crowd.