New poem: Small World Theory

poetry/a/artisto.txt

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from the house down the street that went up in flames
 because my friends always scream about taking life by the reins
 and nothing really happened on my birthday anyways
 
-I’ve finally learned how to draw
+I've finally learned how to draw
 with the statue in front of the window, greeting guests
 who knock on my door, memories in hand
 from long ago, seeking immortality in portrait
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ on the subject, feet twitch, begging to pace
 
 the paper shakes my soul with sanity
 but to others, I seem insane
-how dare I call myself “artist” and live
+how dare I call myself "artist" and live
 without the empty stomach to qualify my name
 
 ***

poetry/index.gmi

@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
 => s/sweet-summer.txt	Sweet Summer
 => s/strange-proposal.txt	A Strange Proposal
 => s/strawberry.txt	Strawberry Pound Cake
+=> s/small_world_theory.txt	Small World Theory
 
 ## T
 => t/the-rebirth-of-memory.txt	the rebirth of memory
@@ -177,3 +178,6 @@
 
 ## Y
 => y/YOU-NEED-TO-KNOW.txt	YOU NEED TO KNOW
+
+## Z
+=> z/zircons_beacon.txt	ZIRCON'S BEACON

poetry/index.gph

@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ iS
 0Sweet Summer	s/sweet-summer.txt
 0A Strange Proposal	s/strange-proposal.txt
 0Strawberry Pound Cake	s/strawberry.txt
+0Small World Theory	s/small_world_theory.txt
 
 iT	
 0the rebirth of memory	t/the-rebirth-of-memory.txt
@@ -178,3 +179,6 @@ iW
 
 iY	
 0YOU NEED TO KNOW	y/YOU-NEED-TO-KNOW.txt
+
+iZ	
+0ZIRCON'S BEACON	z/zircons_beacon.txt

poetry/index.html

@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@
 	│   ├── <a href="./s/serpenton.txt">serpenton.txt</a><br>
 	│   ├── <a href="./s/skin.txt">skin.txt</a><br>
 	│   ├── <a href="./s/sleepover2011.txt">sleepover2011.txt</a><br>
+	│   ├── <a href="./s/small_world_theory.txt">small_world_theory.txt</a><br>
 	│   ├── <a href="./s/somnolence.txt">somnolence.txt</a><br>
 	│   ├── <a href="./s/stealing-time.txt">stealing-time.txt</a><br>
 	│   ├── <a href="./s/strange-proposal.txt">strange-proposal.txt</a><br>
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@
 	</p>
 	<p>
 
-24 directories, 138 files
+24 directories, 139 files
 	<br><br>
 	</p>
 	<hr>

poetry/s/small_world_theory.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+Small World Theory
+2023-01-23
+
+***
+
+The little graphs on my phone
+show that web traffic has slowed,
+that whoever's been attacking
+my far-away digital home
+hasn't yet chosen to leave me alone.
+
+Have you ever heard
+of the Small World
+Theory?
+Let me explain it quick.
+It's rather easy.
+
+The premise is that,
+even though there are just shy
+of eight billion people on this planet wide,
+on both sides
+of the hardware
+software
+OSI layer
+divide,
+the network is smaller than such a high
+number leads
+one to believe.
+
+So either
+these past months I've been popular
+even without the referers
+to back the numbers
+up
+(the people have to come from *somewhere*)
+or I've been too passionate in my love
+and I caught the hateful eye
+of someone who would rather I shrivel up and die.
+
+But then why choose me?
+Is it because I look easy
+to take down
+even though my whole life I've been finding workarounds?
+There's nothing that I'm selling,
+so financial harm can't be it.
+Is it just
+for evil fun?
+Just to stir up shit?
+
+It's certainly been disruptive.
+
+The Internet makes it look like
+there's millions who want my hide,
+but if I were to say my name
+to any real-world person I come across,
+they'd shrug their shoulders,
+say, "Who's that?" and then move on.
+I don't have any real fame,
+nor have I ever yearned
+for the fifteen minutes of public shaming be my turn.
+I'm not equipped to handle an existence
+where everything is under constant surveillance.
+
+I think a steady babbling stream
+is more my speed.
+Don't you agree,
+Jett?
+I'd like to sit at the shores
+of one of the rivers of Sablade
+with you, tucked away
+where nobody can hurt me anymore.
+Like a router only on for an hour a day.
+Get your outside business done
+and then we'll again shut the gates.
+
+***
+
+CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (c) Vane Vander