The Book of Not: The Book of Jyhad

In this dream, there were lots of little thin tables arranged into a big 'O', with gold and silver chessboards on each one, with shining white ivory and deepest black obsidian pieces. And there are dozens of players moving around the inside and outside of the 'O'. They're moving pieces, thinking, arguing, changing boards, changing sides, threatening to change sides, a gigantic, beautiful wind-up clockwork game. It takes my breath away, and I know I have to play, too.

But all I have are these damn Monopoly pieces and this damn Monopoly money. So I move around the boards, too, and I put the Monopoly pieces on the squares and give people some of the money, and sometimes I take it back from them. Some of the players laugh. Some of them get mad. Some of them get worried at how my pieces move. A few panic. That's when I notice that the time clocks next to the boards are almost counted down to zero. Maybe, I think, that's why everyone's moving so fast. I feel alone, like nobody understands why I want to play when all I have are these stupid Monopoly pieces.

And now, thinking back, I can't figure out why the game is played at all. I mean, so close to the end, who cares about games? It's only a dumb dream, anyway.

Mine eyes have seen the glory.

The blue and the grey.

Shirts and skins.

Black and white.

Good and evil.

Right and wrong.

Part of the problem or part of the solution.

Whose side are you on?

The two-party system.

The enemies list.

Gave proof through the night.

For God so loved the world.

An eye for an eye.

Win one for the Gipper.

Am I my brother's keeper?

Say goodnight, Gracie.

Goodnight, Gracie.

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