X≠Y≠Z • Letters for Titles

X≠Y≠Z: Settlers

Y: I wanted to play Monopoly.

X: Monopoly is stupid, there’s no skill in Monopoly.

Y: There is skill.

X: No, it’s just luck. It’s boring and old, it’s what numbers you get on the dice, what cards. And it takes forever.

Z: This takes forever.

Y: This does take forever.

X: You’re making it take forever, it’s your turn. Go already.

Y: I’m thinking.

X: What with?

Y: O so amusing. Ok, who wants to trade me wheat for a brick?

X: How did you get a brick? The robber’s been on your brick this whole time.

Y: I have a brick, ok, who wants it for wheat?

X: Are you cheating? When did you get a brick? I know what cards you have, and you spent all your bricks trying to build the longest road.

Z: I have the longest road.

Y: So what.

Z: And the largest army.

X: You stole the … More

Y is in the garage, sharpening. Trying to figure out how to sharpen. Y is in the garage googling how to sharpen a blade, what angle and what to sharpen it on and is confused as to the metal content of the blade in question. Does it make a difference if Y doesn’t know? Y assumes yes. Y has no whetstone and had tried to use the concrete floor of the garage but has become too cold sitting on it. Why are garage floors so cold? Google says to sharpen a blade on the unfinished ceramic bottom of a coffee mug in a pinch. This is a pinch, Y has had it and heads to the kitchen.

X is in the bathroom. The bathroom has good ventilation and the best light; X can not make a mistake. Next to the sink X has placed a camp stove with a small pot on top … More

X≠Y≠Z: Divination

Wretched in exile, three individuals divided by mutual suspicion yet maintaining the syzygy of codependent enemies, seek access to the future. They are addicted to divination by omens and lots.

X shuffles and shuffles cards, lays them out, this one is it, this one crosses it, the past the future, There’s a star and a hanged man: a traitor, loss and isolation, yet the traitor is smiling. There is much to be gained from X’s sacrifice. X picks up cards, puts them down, shuffles. The fool, we know who that is delusional bastard, the tower, a crumbling of old ways, a protective fortress in ruin. A chariot with no wheels, bound in place. Shuffling.

Y dangles a rock tied to a string, trying to hold still. Y isn’t sure if the rock is moving in answer or if Y is doing it without meaning to. Show me which way for yes. Show me … More

X≠Y≠Z: Y

Life is about to change for Y. The herd has been dwindling, with Z already exiled in wretchedness. X is on edge, chin elevated, ears pinned back, and has decided that Y’s days in the family are numbered. Y is about to be banished. Y makes an attempt at self protection by avoiding the subject and by holding up a mirror to others which proves rather a good surface to hide behind, but it is not going to help. X lunges forward, mouth open and ears flattened. X spins around and lands a series of rapid kicks. Y is not wanted. X has iced Y out.

As a matter of simple instinct, Y would rather run than fight. Y runs a short distance then stops to look back and see if X is a threat worth fleeing from. Watching forlornly from a safe distance, leaderless, Y has no other source of direction and … More

X≠Y≠Z: Letter

Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight. Not something big like a pony what am I going to do with a horse, it was just to get out of there and live my life already. But I didn’t mean all the way out, and me with my heart in my throat. Plenty of help and no support.

I know the one thing that ever shall be, we all know that one doesn’t matter who. I’ll recognize need next time I see it, and by god doesn’t matter who, I’ll help how I can if I can.

Need is mine and will be mine again.

Yours,
X

X≠Y≠Z: (X+Y)-Z=(X-Y)÷Z

Y: Here come the water works.

X: I’ve been carrying you!

Y: No, I’ve been carrying you. Nobody carries me.

X: You’re delusional. Do the math, you’d be nothing without me and you know it, you just won’t admit that I know things, that I’m as smart as you are, smarter. You have this whole entitled thing going on that you don’t even realize. Or pretend not to, except you’re not that self aware.

Y: I don’t need to listen to you.

X: You never have anyway.

Y: This is total crap. Things were supposed to be better with just us. You’re just crazy, that’s what this is. You’ve gone off the deep end.

X: Right it’s me. I’m crazy. I’m just naturally hysterical and don’t have an actual brain and know what I’m talking about. You are conditioned to think that, you know that, right? You are so easily snowed. You bait me into … More

X≠Y≠Z: No Z

X: Z left.

Y: It was your fault. You did this. I mean, I support you and whatever, but Z left because of you.

X: Because of Z. Z left, Z left us, Z abandoned us and why? We have such a blissful situation here, it’s a fortress of comfort, plenty of anything, Z just had to stay in with us. Was that so hard?

Y: You got rid of Z, thinking Z’d come right back, you said don’t come back and Z won’t now. Z’s gone.

X: Z will need us. We’ll never be rid of Z.

Z: You banished Z, it’s permanent, you did that.

X: We can’t tell people that, we can’t say that to the nosey, the truth is it has to have been Z’s idea to go or how will it reflect on us? How can we say we just got rid Z, said Z get out, never

… More

X≠Y≠Z: Z’s Lament

I can not explain why I’m now set adrift.
Was I such a pain? Was it part of a grift?
Whatever their reasons they’re not telling me:
I have no idea why I’m all at sea.

Why could they not love me and nurture my gift?
(My wide open mouth makes too big of a rift)
I always knew that they’d get rid of me
Because X is not Y and neither is Z.

X≠Y≠Z: Contraries and Negations

Shh. Watch them. See them? X and Y are fighting again. Thank God for it because strife holds the world together. We need this to happen, though these two do drive Z to murder. There they go. Battling it out. X and Y. Mirroring entities. Mutually essential through opposition. Apparent opposition, this is an illusion we’re seeing, binary distinctions do not actually exist. These opposing forces are just forces, mutually essential. Annihilate one by removing the other and poof they’re both gone. So don’t do it. It’s dangerous. Let them be what they will and do what they do, and hope for balance.

Here’s an example. When X and Y are body and soul, another pair of contraries emerge on a different level of scale: science and religion, here to battle each other and bod and soul as well. Religion negates body, Science negates soul. X and Y have levels and the levels … More

X≠Y≠Z: Are we there yet?

Z: The road less traveled is the false one to take, when the way it turns out, is of our own make.

X: Why’s the path not a path?

Z: Stop thinking in lines. Create what you need and you’ll be just fine.

Y: When will we get there? Where is it we’re going?

Z: Forget it, relax, there’s no need for knowing.

X≠Y≠Z: How to Punch a Tree

X: The sun’s going down.

Y: Wait, how do I run?

X: Control W, no hold it down.

Z: Don’t lose my stuff.

Y: How would I lose your stuff? Wait, I’m stuck. Where am I? Is this a hole?

X: Spacebar

Y: What?

X: Spacebar to jump. Ok. So we need to find a tree.

Y: What for?

X: We need to punch the tree.

Y: We’re going to fight a tree?

X: No, we need to get wood to make things. And we need shelter before something gets us. Ok, punch this tree.

Y: Wait, what? What something? How do I punch the tree?

X: Left click. No, go closer, now left click. We really should be building a shelter.

Y: The tree doesn’t fall? It just stays there with the middle missing?

X: They don’t fall over. You have to get under it and punch up if you want all the wood.… More

X≠Y≠Z: Three Body Problem

Our three body problem’s a bit of a riddle
Though our moods be discordant together we cling
Our center is everywhere and circumference the middle

We’re like Efimov dolls or a Borromean ring
Trinity’s not right, syzygy’s too twee
We won’t hum in pairs but as a trio we sing.

What’s your decree? What’s our wee rule of three?
(Though you should be aware we burn to Vern’s fiddle)
X is not Y and neither is Z.

X≠Y≠Z: What is that?

Y: That one on the left looks dangerous.

X: The one on the right looks more joyful, but it’s a moody joy.

Y: Moody. Who are they? They’re staring and it’s creeping me out.

X: No, look, it’s fish.

Y: Is that fish?

Z: It’s something.

X: They can’t see us, those aren’t eyes.

Y: Aren’t they?

X: Oh wait, they’re reacting to us. Look, that one is scowling.

Y: Stop pointing at it.

X: Now this one is scowling, look at its eyebrows. Fins.

Y: Don’t point! Those are eyes and they can definitely see us.

Z: They aren’t paying attention to us at all. Think about a fish in a pond. A bunch of them. Carp.

Y: That’s not a carp. That’s a face.

Z: Face fish. Whatever. There they are in the pond, just beyond the surface of the water, we are inches from them, looking in, and they don’t … More

X is not Y and Neither is Z

A is for always and be is become.

C cogitates then D says it’s done.

Everyone falls grave here in jeopardy.

Kenning loves mingling, now one plurality.

Quick now listen hwat, remind yourself well:

So, future’s not nearing, times now this I tell.

Understand? Listen up. Vern says wannabe?

X is not Y and neither is Z.

X≠Y≠Z: 1984

X: What happens after you die?

Y: God, am I dying?

X: Not you, me. Anybody. What happens after? Then what?

Z: It’s like there’s no after anymore, you enter into an all-at-once-ness kind of situation. And you get to watch over people and stuff.

Y: That’s so creepy. I don’t want to be watched all the time. I mean yeah, watched over is nice, in that you’ve got an angel on your side kind of way, I can do that. But watched?

Z: Angels have eyes.

X: It can’t be all the time, you don’t become big brother, right? Just, you come in when somebody is thinking about you, they’re like, inviting you in just for that moment. Is that it?

Y: So if I’m on the toilet thinking about my grandma? Or my ex? I don’t know which one is worse, they’re invited? Because I don’t want my ex seeing that, or my … More

X≠Y≠Z: Rune Casting!

Y: This is our future? Ear and Feoh. Death and cattle? Are we going to kill a cow? Are we meeting some rich cattle?

Z: Wealth. It means wealth.

Y: Wealth? Like lots of cows?

X: Portable wealth, not cows. Nobody pays in cow anymore.

Z: Some do.

Y: How is a cow portable? Imagine it. Pulling it behind you on a leash to go shopping. Loading it up into the car.

X: The smell of the bank.

Y: The smell of the bank! The wealth rune. Wealth!

X: We’ll have money.

Y: Yes! We will be rich! It’s so good to know it beforehand. Cows are big, right, this is big money, beyond our wildest fantasies rich. Yes. Fantastic. Yes. We’ll be swimming in it. Scrooge McDucking it through ducats! Plunging into property!

X: Capering in capital!

Y: Lounging in lucre, washing in wealth! Rolling in bankrolls, piling into pesos, current … More

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