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The majestic game,
A mental battle between two
Every possible action
Happening on the 64-squared board,
All it takes
Is for one to notice.

A chess battle is that of a snake and a mongoose
They snap back and forth
Until one gives in
The ultimate decider: patience.

A complex breakdown
With opening, middle, and endgame.
A whole play that takes place
A more than two-hours traffic of our checkered stage.

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I know, I know.

I'm an expert in this field

Maybe I should make an academy for it!

Anyways, here are my instructions:

Make a to-do list

It's always funnier this way ---

When you try to be productive

With a burning fire.

Strong, unwavering, and more than anything, naïve.

Where was I?

Right, the to-do list.

Jot down things you have to do

Next, is what I call the 20 seconds of will-power

You take out your math notebook

Open the questions PDF

Stare at your pencil,

And tell yourself: let's do this.

Naturally, you scroll

The text at the bottom informs you: 4 pages.

This, ladies and gentlemen,

Is when your frontline soldiers perish

The 20 seconds are now over;

The snowball has started to roll.

You click out of the PDF

And check your to-do list.

The next item: study stoichiometry.

Lo and behold, the point of no return.

You chuck the to-do list to the side,

And your fingers open a new tab.

Muscle memory.

The first letters: "yout."

The rest is history.

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Basketball

“Dub-dub,

“dub-dub.”

When life is a runaway train

And every moment that you have

Is spent on catching up;

That’s when

That’s when

“Dub-dub”

Is a sound for sore ears.

An escape from reality

That gives you physical exercise

That relaxes your mind

That removes your worries

Yeah,

This ain’t Eutopia.

This is our very own, basketball.

Sure,

Afterward

Your knees can hurt

And your arms can ache.

But wouldn’t you give that for

The one thing that eases your pain

And pushes you into your world where you can just,

play?

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Hand Sanitizer

The importance of me is often overlooked
For people love it when things make a positive change
But they ignore the absence of a negative one.

A drop of foam and all your problems gone.
Not big ones, no.
The tiny and tinier are who I fight.

It's like a sports match:
Some people give handshakes;
Some don't.

I snap back into place nevertheless.

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The faith in the world I put

Went unmatched

A broken connection.

However,

I cannot complain

For there are people living in far worse circumstances

Than any of you could imagine.

The pain of betrayal

Strings more than the pain of grievance

Trust me,

I have felt both.

I lived my entire life

With the belief that things will change

And the power of freedom

Will no longer be a myth

Only to be given it

In the form of slow, painful death.

First, my identity

Next, my body.

I’m not saying that

All my life has been sadness

I had people who loved me

Even if it were for a brief while.

There are some in my world

Who didn’t even have that

My last wish is more of a plead;

Is it too much to ask, Big Brother?

Doth I cross the lines,

Doth I be, as you say, doubleplusungood?

I care not.

For my soul is free from your lingering eyes

Below is my final plead,

Never get restricted by any scheme

Be it a language, caste, or creed

Learn from the failures of the past

Do not give in to greed.

Keep moving forward

And know in your mind,

IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE!

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There are times when you feel

Like a mosquito among dragonflies

Like a sheep among wolves

Like a dog among dingos

In these moments, take a breath.

You are not alone

Well, you kind of are actually

But remember: you are a Chameleon.

A Chameleon is an incredible creature;

Smart, Diplomatic, Ever-changing.

It's skill sets' prevalence —

So much so that,

the blooming forests of Madagascar

might be none other than the tricky world of a student.

Not everyone’s well-versed

In the art of being a Chameleon

That’s okay.

There are only two requirements:

An open mind

And a humble soul

Below lie my instructions:

Open your eyes,

See.

See, observe, taste, notice,

Do anything you can to take in your surroundings

Let your eyes be a membrane;

Selectively permeable.

Invite opportunities;

Ignore distractions.

Interact with the beings around you

Know what language they speak

The accent they utilize

What vibe they give out

What values they believe in

Most importantly, do not make any sudden movements

Keep a low-profile —

You will be accepted in your environment soon;

Patience is key.

Next, Merge.

Absorb the good things,

Stay away from the bad.

This assortment of values

Will prove you wise

For the wise are who

Learn from the mistakes

Not of their own, but of others.

Finally, synthesize.

Synthesize your character

A mixture of old and new

A blend of cultures

One that works when you step

On either side of the fence.

Once you have synthesized this character,

wear it.

Wear it proudly like a Chameleon.

Acknowledge the fact that now,

You have the power to fit in

but at the same time, stand out.

And as the sun rises once again,

your personality changes yet another shade.

Kudos!

You have learned how to adapt.

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Taylor Swift - my tears ricochet (folklore: the long pond studio sessions)

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"Jabberwocky": One of literature's best bits of nonsense

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Complete program at: http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=397 Acclaimed science-fiction author Neil Gaiman reads his poem, "Instructions." ----- An Evening's Entertainment with Neil Gaiman celebrating "Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders." In this dazzling new collection of more than twenty-five pieces of short fiction including a novella featuring the hero of his masterpiece "American Gods," Neil Gaiman charts the terrain between life and death, perception and reality, darkness and light.

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Remembering Kobe: "Dear Basketball" Oscar Award Winning Short Story

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Lost Voices - Darius Simpson and Scout Bostley 

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Lost Voices - Darius Simpson and Scout Bostley 

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Darius Simpson & Scout Bostley - Lost Voices

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Wellerman(Sea Shanty) - Sung by Nathan Evans 

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Wellerman(Sea Shanty) - Sung by Nathan Evans 

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WATCH: Amanda Gorman reads her poem, ‘The Miracle of Morning’

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We lived happily during the war - Ilya Kaminsky 

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We lived happily during the war - Ilya Kaminsky 

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Ilya Kaminsky reads “We Lived Happily During the War"