=== ANCHOR POEM === ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────── I'm the kind of witch who's so poor, she can barely afford to eat because she's paying all her money on rent "just get on food stamps, you'll never pay for food again" sorry, can't do that. I'd feel rich with a full pantry. What is best in life? A full pantry, the smell of warmth, and the space to resist peril. I know I'm not rich enough to afford those things, because I don't work hard enough. HA just take the handout, solve your material problems, live in your house for 6 more months instead of 2, and stop complaining you stupid ritz ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┘ === SIMILARITY RANKED === --- #1 fediverse/4730 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────── I am not interested in being given money. Usually it means someone wants something from me, like labor or some of my stuff. I have all the stuff I need, why would I need more money? I like my stuff! I'll help out when people need help but I do that because I'm a good person, not because I want you to fucking pay me for it. I have all the things I need... except a deed to my house. apartment. oh yeah, they can kick you out for that sin. well, sorry, I couldn't find out at goodwill or in the trash bin, so I guess I'm deed-less. My deeds go unproven. How can I prove that I deserve a decent life in this particular roof, the one I find over my head, when I cannot prove that my deeds qualify me for a decent life lived under this particular roof? I mean, did you ask the neighbors if they want me gone? Am I really that smelly? Does my keyboard make "clickety-clack" noises all through the night? Does my cat meow and bother the children? Do my friendly smiles and waves make you uncomfortable? Have a decent life. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────┘ --- #2 fediverse/4544 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── ┌───────────────────────┐ │ CW: cursing-mentioned │ └───────────────────────┘ I can't cancel my internet because I use it to work, which almost pays enough to cover rent, and nothing else. It's hard to avoid spiraling when you run out of money. Every time this happens to me I start feeling things like... am I good for society? Society doesn't want me, clearly, because I don't have any money. And currency is how you measure demand, right? It's literally a measure of value. But then I think of all the homeless and poor people and, like... I value them, so what if they don't have dollars? It's literally just paper. Or bits in a mainframe that nobody knows how to program anymore. So if they're valuable at least to me, yet me, with my 67$ in the bank and 127$ internet fee, is not valuable to me... Then what's the discrepancy? I'm not trying to be hard on myself, it's not my fault that I bleed money, but I still feel terrible. It's like a common cultural persuasion, if you run outta cash you better kill yourself fast. Fuck that. Oops cursing mentioned, one s ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #3 fediverse/4528 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: re: uspol │ └──────────────────────┘ @user-1695 never accept your own death fight for every second of life, something something do not go quietly into that grim dark what the fuck are you supposed to do? Reading what you said got me pretty fucking pissed - keep talking for a start, it helps, people need to be pissed. I'm also broke as shit, don't know how I'm going to pay rent and eat, but it'll get done. Where do you live? Can other people help you? Medications are an organizational problem, not an insurmountable barrier. We'll make it work. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #4 messages/298 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────── When you say "we need more low income housing" they hear "I want to live near more poor people" and they think "why would I want to live near poor people? They're poor for a reason! We only need enough around to work the jobs that suck anyway." which is basically their way of justifying slavery/indentured servitude, as it's not like they'd ever offer a way to climb out of that low-income pit. And its not like they'd ever let you pay them more, so they can afford to be equals, because then they wouldn't be middle-class anymore. They'd just be mid. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────┘ --- #5 fediverse/4470 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── to be "rich" is to have more than another. if you are happy, they are happiness poor. if you have community, they are alone. if you have serenity, they are chaotic. I am rich in very little but fire in my soul. I have enough in most cases, but I still struggle to pay rent. I am warmed by the pearl my swirling darkness has coalesced into. It nourishes me and keeps me aligned. Never forget your purpose and your truth. It will not abandon you, so long as you do so too. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #6 fediverse/2089 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┐ ║ "ah nuts, the crows are back. Better give them some diced-up carrots so they │ ║ shut up." │ ║ │ ║ BAD, this teaches them to "sing" for attention which is annoying af │ ║ │ ║ "Hmmm, this carrot looks kinda withered. I'm going to dice it up to throw to │ ║ the birds because it's better than rotting in a dump" │ ║ │ ║ BETTER, because you're being sustainable and nourishing local wildlife, │ ║ │ ║ "That songbird is beautiful! And that squirrel is building a nest. I'm going │ ║ to throw some of this pre-diced carrot that I keep in an air-tight container │ ║ on my porch to them so they feel rewarded for doing things that I want" │ ║ │ ║ EVEN BETTER, but requires more effort and forethought │ ║ │ ║ [noooo didn't you read ranger rick as a kid you're not supposed to feed the │ ║ wildlife because it'll teach them to trust humans in a world where humans can │ ║ be total assholes to them and also we don't want them hanging out in cities │ ║ because they might get run over or whatever] │ ║ │ ║ listen, they're gonna live where they can find food. And if they can't find it │ ║ in the woods, they'll liv │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #7 messages/1352 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─ My girlfriend buys me diapers and food. She has occasionally given me small gifts, but nothing more than what i would give to her. I'm not some silver spoon prince. I'm barely getting by. I feel suffocated at home and drowning when I'm out and about. Sometimes I don't know whether staying alone or going out is more strain, so usually I just fall asleep to the tune of my swirling black thoughts. Save me! Surrender me! Give me all that you own! I do not waste things. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════┘ --- #8 fediverse/4541 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: food-mentioned-cursing-mentioned │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘ I'm on half rations dollar-wise, but 1.5x rations nutrition-wise. "oh boy, formless gruel for breakfast again. Can't wait. Maybe I'll splurge and put extra jelly on my PB&J for lunch." It's healthier to eat rice, beans, and vegetables, with some fats added in via butter or oil. The goal is to build up fat stores that are high-value. When your body has excess calories, it takes whatever nutrients are CURRENTLY in your system and stores them in fat cells, like stocking a pantry. If all you eat is cheetos, your pantry is gonna be useless. It'll just slow you down. But if you have highly nutritious foods, you will perform better as your body consumes the fat when it needs to feed, but you haven't eaten much lately. ... I should apply for SNAP. Gonna do it right fucking now. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #9 fediverse/4738 --- ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────┐ ║ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: revolutionary-politics-mentioned-swearing-mentioned │ │ ║ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ you said you wanted a revolution, and, well, I could not be more proud of you. │ ║ It's actually getting done and if I stop and think about it I'm kind of │ ║ amazed. Never thought I'd see this kind of change so quickly. │ ║ │ ║ "what change? I see nothing substantially different" │ ║ │ ║ oh yeah well do you go outside often │ ║ │ ║ do you hang out in the park │ ║ │ ║ I know it's fuckin' january and it's cold as heck (ah nuts swearing mentioned │ ║ one sec) but homeless people have to LIVE in that weather so like... wear │ ║ layers, spend time outside, detox from dopamine, write poetry and tear it out │ ║ and leave it on a park bench, be loud, claim the space, it's yours, that's │ ║ what it's there for. │ ║ │ ║ I see it in your eyes. I see it in the random notes I find on the sidewalk. │ ║ Everyone says "make friends, find community" and I say "commune with a │ ║ stranger" but I'm also a witch and that's a pretty witchy thing to do. │ ║ │ ║ ... Really fuckin' wish we still had payphones (ah nuts swearing mentioned - │ ║ oh already CWd) │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────┴──────────┘ --- #10 fediverse/1844 --- ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────┐ ║ I got a job offer for a job outside of my state. But I don't want to leave my │ ║ home. I feel safe here. I know people. I know the places around me. │ ║ │ ║ The one perk is that goods and services are easier to acquire, but I don't │ ║ need much. I'm fine where I'm at. But where I'm at has rent. │ ║ │ ║ What a plague is it, that we must suffer for life! │ ║ │ ║ there's no entry-level jobs for working with our sight. │ ║ │ ║ only when youre too tired to complain will they let you direct others, or │ ║ share creative ideas for fixing the problems you're paid to assuage. │ ║ │ ║ Alas, that my life had meaning. That my words were better off spoken. Maybe │ ║ then Id live as I define, designing a world of my own hearth. │ ║ │ ║ but if a king lives in decent frugality, are they really so bad for our flock? │ ║ │ ║ and if a wizard spins tales that are weird to consider, but not much else... │ ║ are they better off starved in the dark? │ ║ │ ║ no-one likes me. computers are paper-weights given light. sure would be nice │ ║ if none but the fools went wanting. │ ║ │ ║ I mean yeah I'd live in a treehouse │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧═════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #11 fediverse/2562 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: rich-apologia │ └──────────────────────┘ among all the others, I want a wonderful and fulfilling life for the socialite. they deserve light just as you and I might. "eat the rich" bruh there's like, 100 people who are running the show. everyone else is basically just a syncophant who's trying to get ahead and stay working. then there's like their families and such and like... they didn't do anything wrong, they just eat cheese and wine and laugh at memes all day with their besties. they are basically pets ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #12 fediverse/1042 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────── ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ CW: personal-vent-sorry │ └─────────────────────────┘ "your feelings are valid, but have you considered that your feelings aren't actually valid because you're always wrong and nobody should ever apologize to you for anything because you suck and are wrong?" also, "my six digit salary isn't enough to pay for your rice and beans, but I won't have you eating sticks and mud, so do things you don't want to do because I said so." also, "I don't really "get" your art but that doesn't mean I should ever really try reading it. Also god forbid I actually ask for clarification like "what does that part mean" because I'm not actually that interested in you I just want a stable household so I never get traumatized again like [their childhood]" also, "yes I love you but no I don't want to play with you. you're such a cat." also, "every time you start making sense I'm going to try and derail the conversation so that we don't talk about kooky-dookerie because that's a conversation I can't win" also, sorry for venting. I mean, thanks for listeni ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────┘ --- #13 fediverse/1157 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: personal-woe │ └──────────────────────┘ oh no, apparently I'm gonna be forced to drop out of university again in 9 days unless I do half a course and a final exam before then. Tell me again why I spent the last 6 months doing nothing? Oh yeah the mental illness, that's it. Yeesh you're such a drama queen, just do your work and you'll be good. what's that? intrusive thoughts time? Don't you mean "nap until they go away" time? oh yeah that's probably at least part of the problem with the whole "dropping out" thing. If only I didn't have the same reaction to "doing things I don't want to do" that most people have to "touching hot stoves", that'd be nice. my mother's voice ripples across space and time "you're such a smart boy, if you just apply yourself you can do anything! You can do anything you put your mind to. I believe in you and I love you." thanks mom brrrrr it's so cold here. wish I could afford to run the heater. - actually no I don't because it's not solar powered and I refuse to use fossil fuels if I have blankets >.> ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────┘ --- #14 fediverse/935 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────── @user-171 I guess so. She's a little useless without me, I mean if I left her alone she'd probably just flop around and complain until I came back. But she's good for the instincts I find. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────┘ --- #15 fediverse/138 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────────── @user-129 if you throw your plate across the room instead of eating well then it was probably an accident. if you keep doing it and are being a huge brat about it then maybe you should go in time-out until you are ready to sit at the table and eat like an adult. plates are expensive yo, and people are starving (for housing) in Africa or whatever. in related news, I heard that ~40% of homes in America are empty. I don't know if that's still true, I read it in like, 2014. I wonder if it's higher or lower now? ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #16 fediverse/169 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────────── @user-95 one of the most empathetic people I ever met on VR chat was consoling me with their mic off while I was oversharing about some stupid things people did to me in the past. things that stupid me thought were okay and actively encouraged because I was stupid. anyway when their mic was off their body language spoke for them. I'll try that next time. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #17 fediverse/1535 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────── I only take things that aren't mine if they're in the trash. Or near the trash. Or in a store. so weird how the store won't let me leave until I give them some of my dollars. This quartermaster drives a hard bargain! ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────┘ --- #18 fediverse/1797 --- ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────┐ ║ I'd like a job where I can make computer programs, write poetry, play video │ ║ games, make food for friends, grow plants and care for animals, walk or ride │ ║ my bike for at least an hour every day, and get stoned on the weekends. │ ║ │ ║ Is that too much to ask? I have plenty of other skills besides, like carpentry │ ║ and strategic thinking and wilderness survival and situational awareness and │ ║ active listening and unmitigated empathy and a curious and critical mind. │ ║ │ ║ Am I not good enough for thee? I have many flaws, I lack stamina and memory, │ ║ and while I am sharp and can think quickly and adeptly, the sharpest knives │ ║ are the first to dull, and the most focused minds are those most easy to │ ║ mislead. I trust too easily - if I meet you on the street, I'd offer my soul │ ║ to you if you said you needed it. I put the needs of others over myself, often │ ║ to my own detriment, causing others to need to assist me in turn - am I not │ ║ wretched enough to be? │ ║ │ ║ Working for 8 hours a day 5 days per week is not part of my design │ ║ requirements. Alas │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧═════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #19 fediverse/2286 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────────┐ │ CW: uspol-food-mentioned │ └──────────────────────────┘ ... dangit, these sandwiches are getting kinda gross. Guess I'm gonna have to eat them myself, which, uh... idk what I expected xD sometimes you just have all this energy, right? and you don't know what to do with it, so... sandwiches. And hey, sandwiches are cool, they're a pretty neat anti-hunger tool! but uhhhh idk if I really want to eat six whole sandwiches myself. I'm gonna do it though hehe wish me luck [ding] ah nuts my rice and beans are done, hang on lemme eat those first [passes out from exhaustion] exhaustion can be cured with a nap exertion can be cured with water and a few rest days trauma can be allayed for at least a few days with soul food and compassion. maybe laughter too, depending on the mood. fear can be bolstered with a smile, a wink, and a courageous act, and loss is just change you didn't consent to. they won't consent too, so let's give them some change to tolerate. [internally salivating over all the piles of weaponry that I envision them surrendering] ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #20 fediverse/6093 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────── ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: re: politics-mentioned-cops-mentioned-cursing-mentioned │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ it's not always about minorities, though. sometimes they feel strongly about hard work and self-sufficiency or individuality or whatever. I'm telling you now: those values are shared by other ideologies as well. it's okay to prefer to be around people who are similar to you. That is a personal choice and it should be allowed. I mean, have you ever heard of a convent? a bunch of girls hanging out making out all day and - wait, what's that? it wasn't that fun? lotta clerical work and reading about god? alright well you get the idea, sometimes it's nice to feel comfort in similarity. it's okay to believe that people should work hard. It's not an imposition upon them to demand more of your peers, especially if you are willing to help them. Especially if they are willing and able. It's less alright to force them to. Even less so to "encourage" them by taking all of their stuff. Though I will say, being homeless isn't as bad as it used to be. Still hurts. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────┘ |