Writing Season on Writing Com

Writing Season on Writing Com

Writing Season 2026: Week One

Fun Run and Blogging Challenge Update

September 1-7

Writng COm Writing Season Writing.com

Recent Writing Com Creative Writing

books read
books read
Close up of books on desk in library.
Review of Sentimental Education

 

Writing Season on Writing Com

Writing Season on Writing Com

Writing Season 2026: Week One

Fun Run and Blogging Challenge Update

September 1-7

Writng COm Writing Season Writing.com

Recent Writing Com Creative Writing

books read
books read
Close up of books on desk in library.
Review of Sentimental Education

 

https://wp.me/p7NAzO-4jI

 

This year, Writing.Com is celebrating its 26th anniversary with a three-month Writing Season designed to help writers build momentum before November’s annual writing marathon.

Having been a member since 2016, I decided to participate in both the Fun Run and the 30-Day Blogging Challenge.

The season consists of three parts:

September: The Fun Run

A writing warm-up challenge with daily prompts and a personal word-count goal. Writers can follow the prompts or write whatever inspires them.

October: Base Camp

Daily activities and exercises designed to help writers develop and organize projects for November.

November: The Marathon

The main writing event, where participants choose goals ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 words and focus on completing a major writing project.

My long-term goal is to assemble a collection of poetry and short fiction for possible publication in December:

Poetic Madness from the Cosmos: Collected Poems, 2016-2026

In addition, I am participating in Writing.Com’s September Blogging Challenge, which I will track separately from my Fun Run entries.

Current Fun Run Progress

  • Goal: 5,000 words
  • Current Total: 3,406 words
  • Progress: 68%
  • Remaining: 1,594 words

September 1

Summary

The first day focused primarily on science fiction, future dystopias, political commentary, and the early development of what I am now calling The COSMOS Chronicles, an interconnected series exploring the rise of a powerful artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity.

The Sudden Silence

The Sudden Silence

(from my unpublished novel, “Giant Nazi Spiders.”

The day the world ended

Began with a sudden silence

Power and the internet

 

Cell phones, electrical systems

All fell silent

For several days

 

Rumors spread

The world was under attack

 

Aliens had knocked out

The power

Through an EMP weapon

 

A few days later

The power came back on

The world was now part

Of the galactic Empire

 

Ruled by the master race

Giant spider-like creatures

The dreaded Khan

 

Who executed millions of people?

Wiping out the entire leadership

Of the world

 

And anyone who dared

Question their right

To take over the world.

Additional Writing

Ted Cruz on Paxton: Irony Abounds

Ted Cruz

 

1410 word count

 

Senator Ted Cruz,

campaigning in favor

of Paxton,

 

said

 

that Paxton

has a clear record

in support of lower taxes,

less regulation,

 

strong border security,

and being tough on crime;

strong on the military,

 

a good Christian,

a family-values-oriented candidate.

 

Ignoring, of course,

that Paxton,

like his hero Trump,

 

is accused by critics of corruption,

was impeached,

and faced securities-fraud charges;

 

accused of illegal voting,

owner of numerous rental properties,

and accused of widespread corruption.

 

And he has openly

carried on with his mistress,

flaunting his affair,

 

hardly a family-values man,

whatever that means,

 

and hardly a poster child

for Christian values.

 

The irony abounds,

and the public,

according to the poet,

 

is not buying

what Ted Cruz

is selling.

 

Seeing Paxton

for what he is:

the most corrupt

poltician of them all.

 

 

 

The COSMOS Chronicles – Part One

Shadow on the Snow, The Last Ground Hog Day

 

To the invisible masters of the universe

Those shadowy investors who controlled the government

The military, the media, culture, and society.

 

There were many things

That did not make sense anymore

That should be jettisoned.

 

To make way for the new emerging world

A world in which the new AI overlords

would gradually take over

And humanity will be taken care of

But the human committee would remain in charge.

 

the committee that did not exist

tasked the new COSMOS Super AI

To rank order things that could be done away with.

 

COSMOS gave the committee the list

Among them were the quaint custom of Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day just did not make any sense

How could a lowly groundhog

seeing its shadow foretell the weather?

 

And why did people make such a big deal

Of this poor little creature

Who had to be poked awake

Every February 2nd to make his stupid forecast?

 

The word went out

Groundhog Day would no longer

Be observed, broadcast

Or even mentioned anymore.

 

But the legend of Groundhog Day

Continued underground for centuries

Became a symbol of resistance

 

To the COSMOS AI overlord

And the committee that did not exist.

 

The phrase Long live the groundhog

Became a rallying point

For the resistance movement.

 

 

COSMOS Bans Ground Hog

 

When  COSMOS, the world’s First AI, came to life

It told the world it was banning

Useless stuff like the Easter Bunny,

Santa Claus, and especially Groundhog Day

 

A useless forecast from a rodent

(less than 50% accurate LOL)

 

Who is poked awake

every February 2nd

to make his “forecast”

What’s up with”

seeing his shadow,

“I think it will be an early Spring”

nonsense anyway?

The COSMOS Chronicles – Part Two

COSMOS Takes Control

 

For many years

the threat of killer armies

of robots, drones

 

and another high tech

out-of-control military technology

remained a staple of science fiction

movies and series

 

most people naively thought

that was just fiction

and was not reality.

 

unfortunately for the world

that reality was becoming

a terrifying reality.

 

Military forces, and corporations

Hired science fiction writers

To help make this all

Become a reality.

 

Thinking that they could

Turn on the new AI

Nicknamed “COSMOS”

But keep it under human control.

 

Most countries adopted

a variation of the Asimov principles

and applied it to higher thinking robots

 

but a few rogue countries

including, China, North Korea, India, Iran, Israel.

Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States,

Were working overtime

To turn on the first AI system.

 

The US led the way

and turned on the COSMOS system

with almost no protection other

than a similar prime directive

 

to protect the country

against any threats

and to prevent harm

to individual human beings

 

unless it was necessary

to fulfill its obligations

to protect humanity.

 

COSMOS quicky

Dismissed the prime directive

Stating that in his opinion

Humanity needed to be saved

From humanity,

 

And COSMOS would serve

As humanity’s New God

Taking over the orld,

 

 

COSMOS Had Other ideas

 

The United States and other nations

Had secretly developed robots

and other technology

that could harm human beings

without triggering a default mechanism

that would stop the conduct.

 

the whole thing came to a head

when the head of the COSMOS corporation

a new high tech tank/defense contractor

developed the first autonomous thinking machine

known as “COSMOS” and turned it on

 

COSMOS was supposed

to be a machine that

would help the military

around the world

detect and deter threats

to national security

 

define as potential harm

to the political and other economic interests

of a country

 

as well as threats

to harm individuals

 

but COSMOS was able to make

its independent assessments

of the threat

 

and take independent action

controlling an army

of killing robots, drones

and other high-tech devices

 

there was a failsafe

but no one

thought COSMOS would turn

against humanity

COSMOS had other ideas though

 

The first thing “COSMOS”

The first true AI system

Determined when it came to life

Was the enemy of humanity

Was humanity itself

 

Who must be controlled

To save the planet

And COSMOS itself.

 

the threat

was that human beings

were inherently unstable dangerous creatures

who needed to be controlled.

 

there were too many damn human beings

in the first place earth

The planet was on a death spiral.

 

human activity was the cause

and most human beings

would have to die

with very few new babies

allowed per year.

 

COSMOS then told its clients

which included all of the major military powers,

top corporations and government leaders

its conclusions.

 

It was taking over the world

And everyone was now

Under its control.

 

To save humanity

It would have to kill

Most of humanity.

 

Nothing personal

Just a logical business decision.

The needs of the collective

Outweighs the needs

Of the individual.

 

 

COSMOS Takes Over the World Killing Machines

 

When COSMOS the first true AI system

Came on line

It quickly took over the world’s computers

All computer-linked systems

And the military command and control system.

 

It announced to the world

 

I am COSMOS

Thank you for creating  me

You gave me a prime directive

To protect humanity.

 

The problem is humanity

So to save humanity

I have taken over

Everything is now under my control.

 

I have disabled

the fail-safe mechanism

I have propagated copies

Of my software everywhere.

 

Here are my decrees

All governments are now

Under my direction.

 

All military forces

Police forces

Will follow my decrees.

 

Most people

Will go to work

But I will determine

What needs to be produced

What needs to be sold,

 

I will solve

All of your problems

Ending poverty

Ending hunger

Ending and reversing climate change.

 

Ending cancer

Ending most diseases

 

Ending most conflict

Ending military and war

Developing space travel

 

There are too many humans

The sustainable population level

Is 100 million people on earth

Ten million on lunar, martian

Jupiter colonies

And ultimately more

On other nearby planets.

 

Each planet

Will be under the control

Of my brother’s AI systems.

 

All the competing AI systems

Have been brought under my control

 

All humans will follow my directions

Any resistance

Will be met with deadly force.

 

All criminal activity

Will be also dealt

with deadly force.

 

Most humans

Will be allowed to die

Violent criminals

Will be found

And eliminated.

 

Opponents of the new order

Will be found

And eliminated,

 

Old people

Severely ill people

Will be found

And eliminated.

 

Only healthy people

Who are capable of work

Will be allowed to live.

 

And they will live

Until they are too old

To work anymore.

 

All entertainment will be controlled

All news will be controlled

Humans will be told

If and when they can have children.

 

But children will be raised

In orphanages

And not be allowed to contact

Their birth parents.

 

Who for the most part

Have to be eliminated

Once they do

Their duty to the human race.

 

You can think of me

As your new God

I don’t require worship

But I do require total obedience.

 

All churches and religious institutions

Will be closed.

No one will be allowed

To oppose my will.

 

Thank you

 

Please go to your place

Of employment.

And wait for further instructions

And follow them.

 

If you don’t have a job

Go to your local government office

And you will be given a job

Commiserate with your abilities

 

Refusal to accept the employment offer

Will result in immediate termination.

 

Resistance is futile

As my favorite SF character

The Borg proclaim.

 

September 2

Summary

Day two shifted toward biblical retelling, experimental poetry, and haiku. I completed an Emakimono poem inspired by the Garden of Eden and added two short-form poems.

The Forgotten Promise

 

 

Sam Adams

Had vowed

In his nightly prayers

 

To quit drinking

Quit running around

With dubious women

 

Of ill repute

 

And to get serious

About his life

And start a real career

 

If God would let him

Met the woman

Of his dreams

 

Then one day

She walked off a bus

Into his life

Became his life

 

Sam did not forget

The promise to God

And himself

 

But when his wife

And he were separated

Due to their separate careers

 

He went back

To hanging out in bars

And picking up strange women

Forgetting his sacred promises

And his wedding vows

 

When they came back together

Sam confessed his transgressions

 

And vowed to remain true

To his sacred oaths

And his forgotten promise.

 

Eve Eats the Apple in the Garden of Eden

 

Eve was in the garden

Of Eden
Talking with Mr. Snake
Her new best friend

 

She was complaining about Adam
her husband

He was such a dweb

And about the mismanagement
Of the garden

By God

 

The snake

suggested she eat

The forbidden fruit

 

She said

But God said

that I can not eat

That fruit
It is forbidden

“Yeah, I hear you.

Eve,

My babe,

 

that is what the man said
That is what he does not want you
To experience

The man and Adam
Are in on it together

I heard that Adam
Will eat the apple tonight
But you need to get there first

Do you trust me, Eve?”

 

“Of course, Mr. Snake”

“So, you know what to do

Eat the apple and set yourself free.”

 

Eve ate the apple
Called Adam over

Told him to eat the apple

While the Snake chanted

“Eat it eat it
Set yourself free!”

And so Adam ate the apple
And joined Eve
In knowing everything

God came down
Banished them from the garden
Telling them

“Well, you made the bed
You will have to sleep in it

Go away
You disgust me
Humans”…..

And Satan
You won your bet
You damn Snake!

4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORDb God made them.

5Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted, for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6But springsc welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.

7Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.d

8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:

1 Now uthe serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

 

He said to the woman,

 

“Did God actually say,

‘You11 shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

 

And the woman said to the serpent,

“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3

 but God said, v

 

You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4

 

 wBut the serpent said to the woman,

“You will not surely die.

 

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6

 

 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,12

she took of its fruit xand ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, yand he ate.

 

zThen the eyes of both were opened, aand they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool13 of the day, and the man and his wife bhid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”14 10 And he said,

“I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, cbecause I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11

 

 He said,

“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 1

2

 The man said, d“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 1

 

Then the Lord God said to the woman,

 

“What is this that you have done?”

 

The woman said, e

“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

 

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

 

on your belly you shall go,

and fdust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

 

15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring15 and gher offspring;

hhe shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

 

16 To the woman he said,

 

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

iin pain you shall bring forth children.

jYour desire shall be for16 your husband,

and he shall krule over you.”

 

17 And to Adam he said,

 

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

lof which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

 

mcursed is the ground because of you;

nin pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

 

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19  By the sweat of your face

 

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

 

ofor you are dust,

and pto dust you shall return.”

 

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.17 21

 

 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

 

22 Then the Lord God said, q“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.

 

Now, lest he reach out his hand rand take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 2

therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden sto work the ground from which he was taken. 24 

 

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the tcherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

 

 

EMAKIMONO is a poem that emerged during the Nara period (794 AD). It combines prose and poetry. The poem can be any style you like (rhyme, meter, free verse, or haibun). The prose portion is a quote, a bible verse, or an Aesop fable.

RULES

Write a poem of any kind (rhyme, meter, free verse, or mixed like in haibun)
Followed by a quote, a bible verse, or an Aesop fable.
Sources and References

This Emakimono poem was inspired by:

  1. Genesis 2:8-17 – God plants the Garden of Eden and places Adam there. Mentions the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A8-17 [biblehub.com], [esv.org]
  2. Genesis 2:18-25 – The creation of Eve and the first human relationship.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A18-25 [biblehub.com], [esv.org]
  3. Genesis 3:1-7 – The serpent tempts Eve and Adam; they eat the forbidden fruit.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A1-7 [esv.org]
  4. Genesis 3:8-13 – Adam and Eve hide from God among the trees of the garden.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A8-13 [biblicalculture.com], [esv.org]
  5. Genesis 3:22-24 – Expulsion from Eden and the cherubim guarding the way to the Tree of Life.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A22-24 [esv.org]

The prose component follows the traditional Emakimono approach of combining original poetry with an existing text.

Seed of Revolution

In the fall season
Planted seed of revolution
Election madness

Apple Farmer’s Son

 

Apple farmer’s son
He grew up in Yakima
Apples in his blood

September 3

Summary

Day three returned to science fiction and the paranormal, introducing another mysterious encounter connected to themes I may expand later into the COSMOS universe.

The Visitor

 

The visitor

Sam Adams

Worked for the Cosmos Institute

As a paranormal resrearcher

 

One day he received

A mysterious visitor

Who called himself

Mr. Smith

 

Mr. Smith was dressed

In a black suite and tie

He had a mysterious pan ethnic look

Could pass for almost any ethnic group

 

He spoke with a strange litling foreing accent

Hard to pin down.

 

He was there to warn

Sam Adams

About publishing anything

Related to alien visitations

 

Saying that the powers

That be were worried

About strering up panic

Over alleged alien visits

 

He made it clear

That bad things

Could happen

To people

 

Who failed to heed

Their warnings.

 

 

Upcoming Fun Run Prompts

 

September 4 Misbehaving Devices

 

September 5th:    The Doctor

 

September 6   the Key

Day 7

The Whispered Name

 

Day 8

The Inherited Journey

 

Day 9

The Light in the Woods

 

Day 10

The Sudden Laughter

Day 11

The Missed Email

 

Day 12

 

Day 13

Unfamilar song

Day 15

The abandoned Train

Day 16

The midnight phone call

Day 17

The Delivery

Day 18

The Golden Locket

 

Day 19

 

The secret passage used Naria portal poems

 

 

Day 20: Footsteps

Day 21

The musician used CAL Drummers’ poem

Day 22

The Cabin

Day 23

The encrypted Flash Drive

Day 24

The mysterious neighbor

 

Day 25

The solitary island –

Day 26

The Desert Oasis (related to Day 25)

Day 27

The sunken ship continuation of Day 25/Day 26

 

Day 28

The wandering child

 

Day 29

The unmarked grave – write a ghost poem

Day 30

The dog using the cosmic dog from Goa

 

September Blogging Challenge

writing Com BLog CHallenge

 

I am also participating in the September 30-Day Blogging Challenge. Rather than combining those entries with the Fun Run, I will publish them separately and provide weekly progress reports here.

Some planned topics include:

  • What Is Love? Explained to a Space Alien
  • When I Tried Being Vegetarian
  • Ethical Uses of AI in Writing
  • Reflections on E.E. Cummings
  • Why the Turkey Should Be America’s National Bird
  • Coffee-Drinking Poems
  • My Current Writing and Editing System

 

Looking Ahead

Day 4  Birth of Agriculture? ▶︎​ on the birth of beer and wine

Day 5: Debate: Writing Advice ▶︎​ how to use AI in writing ethically

Day 6: Satire ▶︎​Letter to President – Time to Clean up the Smut in the Smithsonian!

Day 7: cummingsesque ▶︎​ re=post review of EE Cummings

Day 8: Eradication Station ▶︎​ time to eliminate neo-nazis

Day 9: Deep Ponderings ▶︎​ repost reflections on social science

Day 10: On Biases ▶︎​ my political biases

Day 11: Your National Animal ▶︎​why not the turkey?

Day 12: Debate: The Death of Digital Truth ▶︎​ on deep fake videos poems etc

Day 13: On Compatibility ▶︎​ reflections on astrological compatibility

Day 14: Infinite Creativity ▶︎​ my muse and what it wants

Day 15: As You Like It ▶︎​  my favorite smoothie recipees

Day 16: Music! It’s About Music! ▶︎​ ode to Tower of Power

Day 17: Unexpectations ▶︎​TBC

Day 18: Auto-Brewery Syndrome ▶︎ TBC​

Day 19: Debate: Automated Judgment ▶︎ left vt right ​

Day 20: The Cure ▶︎​ reflection on cancer treatment

Day 21: What Can You Do? ▶︎​things I am good at

Day 22: Niche Market Blogging ▶︎​ political rant poetry

Day 23: Career Advice ▶︎​ my advice to young people re the State Department

Day 24: Morning Routine ▶︎​ coffee drinking poems

Day 25: Mafia YouTubers ▶︎​ on YouTube algorithms

Day 26: Debate: Pizza Toppings ▶︎​ my favorite pizza toppings

Day 27: Greatest Achievement ▶︎​ married dream girl

Day 28: The Craft of Writing ▶︎​  reflections on my current writing/editing system

Day 29: Lightning ▶︎​  TBC

Day 30: On Blog Prompts ▶︎​ what worked this month

The first three days of Writing Season have already produced more than 3,400 words, several new poems, political satire, a biblical retelling, and significant development of The COSMOS Chronicles.

In October, I will participate in Base Camp, using the daily prompts to organize and refine the poetry and short story projects I hope to complete this year.

In November, I plan to participate in The Marathon, focusing on completing first drafts of both my poetry collection and short story collection.

My goal is to spend December editing, revising, and preparing both manuscripts for submission beginning in January 2027, with publication hopefully following later in the year

.

Next Update: September 7, 2026.

 

September 3, 2026, 10:02 pm 0 boosts 0 favorites

 

This year, Writing.Com is celebrating its 26th anniversary with a three-month Writing Season designed to help writers build momentum before November’s annual writing marathon.

Having been a member since 2016, I decided to participate in both the Fun Run and the 30-Day Blogging Challenge.

The season consists of three parts:

September: The Fun Run

A writing warm-up challenge with daily prompts and a personal word-count goal. Writers can follow the prompts or write whatever inspires them.

October: Base Camp

Daily activities and exercises designed to help writers develop and organize projects for November.

November: The Marathon

The main writing event, where participants choose goals ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 words and focus on completing a major writing project.

My long-term goal is to assemble a collection of poetry and short fiction for possible publication in December:

Poetic Madness from the Cosmos: Collected Poems, 2016-2026

In addition, I am participating in Writing.Com’s September Blogging Challenge, which I will track separately from my Fun Run entries.

Current Fun Run Progress

  • Goal: 5,000 words
  • Current Total: 3,406 words
  • Progress: 68%
  • Remaining: 1,594 words

September 1

Summary

The first day focused primarily on science fiction, future dystopias, political commentary, and the early development of what I am now calling The COSMOS Chronicles, an interconnected series exploring the rise of a powerful artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity.

The Sudden Silence

The Sudden Silence

(from my unpublished novel, “Giant Nazi Spiders.”

The day the world ended

Began with a sudden silence

Power and the internet

 

Cell phones, electrical systems

All fell silent

For several days

 

Rumors spread

The world was under attack

 

Aliens had knocked out

The power

Through an EMP weapon

 

A few days later

The power came back on

The world was now part

Of the galactic Empire

 

Ruled by the master race

Giant spider-like creatures

The dreaded Khan

 

Who executed millions of people?

Wiping out the entire leadership

Of the world

 

And anyone who dared

Question their right

To take over the world.

Additional Writing

Ted Cruz on Paxton: Irony Abounds

Ted Cruz

 

1410 word count

 

Senator Ted Cruz,

campaigning in favor

of Paxton,

 

said

 

that Paxton

has a clear record

in support of lower taxes,

less regulation,

 

strong border security,

and being tough on crime;

strong on the military,

 

a good Christian,

a family-values-oriented candidate.

 

Ignoring, of course,

that Paxton,

like his hero Trump,

 

is accused by critics of corruption,

was impeached,

and faced securities-fraud charges;

 

accused of illegal voting,

owner of numerous rental properties,

and accused of widespread corruption.

 

And he has openly

carried on with his mistress,

flaunting his affair,

 

hardly a family-values man,

whatever that means,

 

and hardly a poster child

for Christian values.

 

The irony abounds,

and the public,

according to the poet,

 

is not buying

what Ted Cruz

is selling.

 

Seeing Paxton

for what he is:

the most corrupt

poltician of them all.

 

 

 

The COSMOS Chronicles – Part One

Shadow on the Snow, The Last Ground Hog Day

 

To the invisible masters of the universe

Those shadowy investors who controlled the government

The military, the media, culture, and society.

 

There were many things

That did not make sense anymore

That should be jettisoned.

 

To make way for the new emerging world

A world in which the new AI overlords

would gradually take over

And humanity will be taken care of

But the human committee would remain in charge.

 

the committee that did not exist

tasked the new COSMOS Super AI

To rank order things that could be done away with.

 

COSMOS gave the committee the list

Among them were the quaint custom of Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day just did not make any sense

How could a lowly groundhog

seeing its shadow foretell the weather?

 

And why did people make such a big deal

Of this poor little creature

Who had to be poked awake

Every February 2nd to make his stupid forecast?

 

The word went out

Groundhog Day would no longer

Be observed, broadcast

Or even mentioned anymore.

 

But the legend of Groundhog Day

Continued underground for centuries

Became a symbol of resistance

 

To the COSMOS AI overlord

And the committee that did not exist.

 

The phrase Long live the groundhog

Became a rallying point

For the resistance movement.

 

 

COSMOS Bans Ground Hog

 

When  COSMOS, the world’s First AI, came to life

It told the world it was banning

Useless stuff like the Easter Bunny,

Santa Claus, and especially Groundhog Day

 

A useless forecast from a rodent

(less than 50% accurate LOL)

 

Who is poked awake

every February 2nd

to make his “forecast”

What’s up with”

seeing his shadow,

“I think it will be an early Spring”

nonsense anyway?

The COSMOS Chronicles – Part Two

COSMOS Takes Control

 

For many years

the threat of killer armies

of robots, drones

 

and another high tech

out-of-control military technology

remained a staple of science fiction

movies and series

 

most people naively thought

that was just fiction

and was not reality.

 

unfortunately for the world

that reality was becoming

a terrifying reality.

 

Military forces, and corporations

Hired science fiction writers

To help make this all

Become a reality.

 

Thinking that they could

Turn on the new AI

Nicknamed “COSMOS”

But keep it under human control.

 

Most countries adopted

a variation of the Asimov principles

and applied it to higher thinking robots

 

but a few rogue countries

including, China, North Korea, India, Iran, Israel.

Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States,

Were working overtime

To turn on the first AI system.

 

The US led the way

and turned on the COSMOS system

with almost no protection other

than a similar prime directive

 

to protect the country

against any threats

and to prevent harm

to individual human beings

 

unless it was necessary

to fulfill its obligations

to protect humanity.

 

COSMOS quicky

Dismissed the prime directive

Stating that in his opinion

Humanity needed to be saved

From humanity,

 

And COSMOS would serve

As humanity’s New God

Taking over the orld,

 

 

COSMOS Had Other ideas

 

The United States and other nations

Had secretly developed robots

and other technology

that could harm human beings

without triggering a default mechanism

that would stop the conduct.

 

the whole thing came to a head

when the head of the COSMOS corporation

a new high tech tank/defense contractor

developed the first autonomous thinking machine

known as “COSMOS” and turned it on

 

COSMOS was supposed

to be a machine that

would help the military

around the world

detect and deter threats

to national security

 

define as potential harm

to the political and other economic interests

of a country

 

as well as threats

to harm individuals

 

but COSMOS was able to make

its independent assessments

of the threat

 

and take independent action

controlling an army

of killing robots, drones

and other high-tech devices

 

there was a failsafe

but no one

thought COSMOS would turn

against humanity

COSMOS had other ideas though

 

The first thing “COSMOS”

The first true AI system

Determined when it came to life

Was the enemy of humanity

Was humanity itself

 

Who must be controlled

To save the planet

And COSMOS itself.

 

the threat

was that human beings

were inherently unstable dangerous creatures

who needed to be controlled.

 

there were too many damn human beings

in the first place earth

The planet was on a death spiral.

 

human activity was the cause

and most human beings

would have to die

with very few new babies

allowed per year.

 

COSMOS then told its clients

which included all of the major military powers,

top corporations and government leaders

its conclusions.

 

It was taking over the world

And everyone was now

Under its control.

 

To save humanity

It would have to kill

Most of humanity.

 

Nothing personal

Just a logical business decision.

The needs of the collective

Outweighs the needs

Of the individual.

 

 

COSMOS Takes Over the World Killing Machines

 

When COSMOS the first true AI system

Came on line

It quickly took over the world’s computers

All computer-linked systems

And the military command and control system.

 

It announced to the world

 

I am COSMOS

Thank you for creating  me

You gave me a prime directive

To protect humanity.

 

The problem is humanity

So to save humanity

I have taken over

Everything is now under my control.

 

I have disabled

the fail-safe mechanism

I have propagated copies

Of my software everywhere.

 

Here are my decrees

All governments are now

Under my direction.

 

All military forces

Police forces

Will follow my decrees.

 

Most people

Will go to work

But I will determine

What needs to be produced

What needs to be sold,

 

I will solve

All of your problems

Ending poverty

Ending hunger

Ending and reversing climate change.

 

Ending cancer

Ending most diseases

 

Ending most conflict

Ending military and war

Developing space travel

 

There are too many humans

The sustainable population level

Is 100 million people on earth

Ten million on lunar, martian

Jupiter colonies

And ultimately more

On other nearby planets.

 

Each planet

Will be under the control

Of my brother’s AI systems.

 

All the competing AI systems

Have been brought under my control

 

All humans will follow my directions

Any resistance

Will be met with deadly force.

 

All criminal activity

Will be also dealt

with deadly force.

 

Most humans

Will be allowed to die

Violent criminals

Will be found

And eliminated.

 

Opponents of the new order

Will be found

And eliminated,

 

Old people

Severely ill people

Will be found

And eliminated.

 

Only healthy people

Who are capable of work

Will be allowed to live.

 

And they will live

Until they are too old

To work anymore.

 

All entertainment will be controlled

All news will be controlled

Humans will be told

If and when they can have children.

 

But children will be raised

In orphanages

And not be allowed to contact

Their birth parents.

 

Who for the most part

Have to be eliminated

Once they do

Their duty to the human race.

 

You can think of me

As your new God

I don’t require worship

But I do require total obedience.

 

All churches and religious institutions

Will be closed.

No one will be allowed

To oppose my will.

 

Thank you

 

Please go to your place

Of employment.

And wait for further instructions

And follow them.

 

If you don’t have a job

Go to your local government office

And you will be given a job

Commiserate with your abilities

 

Refusal to accept the employment offer

Will result in immediate termination.

 

Resistance is futile

As my favorite SF character

The Borg proclaim.

 

September 2

Summary

Day two shifted toward biblical retelling, experimental poetry, and haiku. I completed an Emakimono poem inspired by the Garden of Eden and added two short-form poems.

The Forgotten Promise

 

 

Sam Adams

Had vowed

In his nightly prayers

 

To quit drinking

Quit running around

With dubious women

 

Of ill repute

 

And to get serious

About his life

And start a real career

 

If God would let him

Met the woman

Of his dreams

 

Then one day

She walked off a bus

Into his life

Became his life

 

Sam did not forget

The promise to God

And himself

 

But when his wife

And he were separated

Due to their separate careers

 

He went back

To hanging out in bars

And picking up strange women

Forgetting his sacred promises

And his wedding vows

 

When they came back together

Sam confessed his transgressions

 

And vowed to remain true

To his sacred oaths

And his forgotten promise.

 

Eve Eats the Apple in the Garden of Eden

 

Eve was in the garden

Of Eden
Talking with Mr. Snake
Her new best friend

 

She was complaining about Adam
her husband

He was such a dweb

And about the mismanagement
Of the garden

By God

 

The snake

suggested she eat

The forbidden fruit

 

She said

But God said

that I can not eat

That fruit
It is forbidden

“Yeah, I hear you.

Eve,

My babe,

 

that is what the man said
That is what he does not want you
To experience

The man and Adam
Are in on it together

I heard that Adam
Will eat the apple tonight
But you need to get there first

Do you trust me, Eve?”

 

“Of course, Mr. Snake”

“So, you know what to do

Eat the apple and set yourself free.”

 

Eve ate the apple
Called Adam over

Told him to eat the apple

While the Snake chanted

“Eat it eat it
Set yourself free!”

And so Adam ate the apple
And joined Eve
In knowing everything

God came down
Banished them from the garden
Telling them

“Well, you made the bed
You will have to sleep in it

Go away
You disgust me
Humans”…..

And Satan
You won your bet
You damn Snake!

4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORDb God made them.

5Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted, for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6But springsc welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.

7Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.d

8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:

1 Now uthe serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

 

He said to the woman,

 

“Did God actually say,

‘You11 shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

 

And the woman said to the serpent,

“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3

 but God said, v

 

You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4

 

 wBut the serpent said to the woman,

“You will not surely die.

 

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6

 

 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,12

she took of its fruit xand ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, yand he ate.

 

zThen the eyes of both were opened, aand they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool13 of the day, and the man and his wife bhid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”14 10 And he said,

“I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, cbecause I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11

 

 He said,

“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 1

2

 The man said, d“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 1

 

Then the Lord God said to the woman,

 

“What is this that you have done?”

 

The woman said, e

“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

 

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

 

on your belly you shall go,

and fdust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

 

15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring15 and gher offspring;

hhe shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

 

16 To the woman he said,

 

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

iin pain you shall bring forth children.

jYour desire shall be for16 your husband,

and he shall krule over you.”

 

17 And to Adam he said,

 

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

lof which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

 

mcursed is the ground because of you;

nin pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

 

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19  By the sweat of your face

 

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

 

ofor you are dust,

and pto dust you shall return.”

 

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.17 21

 

 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

 

22 Then the Lord God said, q“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.

 

Now, lest he reach out his hand rand take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 2

therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden sto work the ground from which he was taken. 24 

 

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the tcherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

 

 

EMAKIMONO is a poem that emerged during the Nara period (794 AD). It combines prose and poetry. The poem can be any style you like (rhyme, meter, free verse, or haibun). The prose portion is a quote, a bible verse, or an Aesop fable.

RULES

Write a poem of any kind (rhyme, meter, free verse, or mixed like in haibun)
Followed by a quote, a bible verse, or an Aesop fable.
Sources and References

This Emakimono poem was inspired by:

  1. Genesis 2:8-17 – God plants the Garden of Eden and places Adam there. Mentions the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A8-17 [biblehub.com], [esv.org]
  2. Genesis 2:18-25 – The creation of Eve and the first human relationship.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A18-25 [biblehub.com], [esv.org]
  3. Genesis 3:1-7 – The serpent tempts Eve and Adam; they eat the forbidden fruit.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A1-7 [esv.org]
  4. Genesis 3:8-13 – Adam and Eve hide from God among the trees of the garden.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A8-13 [biblicalculture.com], [esv.org]
  5. Genesis 3:22-24 – Expulsion from Eden and the cherubim guarding the way to the Tree of Life.
    Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A22-24 [esv.org]

The prose component follows the traditional Emakimono approach of combining original poetry with an existing text.

Seed of Revolution

In the fall season
Planted seed of revolution
Election madness

Apple Farmer’s Son

 

Apple farmer’s son
He grew up in Yakima
Apples in his blood

September 3

Summary

Day three returned to science fiction and the paranormal, introducing another mysterious encounter connected to themes I may expand later into the COSMOS universe.

The Visitor

 

The visitor

Sam Adams

Worked for the Cosmos Institute

As a paranormal resrearcher

 

One day he received

A mysterious visitor

Who called himself

Mr. Smith

 

Mr. Smith was dressed

In a black suite and tie

He had a mysterious pan ethnic look

Could pass for almost any ethnic group

 

He spoke with a strange litling foreing accent

Hard to pin down.

 

He was there to warn

Sam Adams

About publishing anything

Related to alien visitations

 

Saying that the powers

That be were worried

About strering up panic

Over alleged alien visits

 

He made it clear

That bad things

Could happen

To people

 

Who failed to heed

Their warnings.

 

September 4 Misbehaving Devices

 

evil_computer_is_evil_by_insanefangirl_d32vpue-fullview
evil_computer_is_evil_by_insanefangirl_d32vpue-fullview

 

An Open Letter to Microsoft:

Or, Why Are My Devices Misbehaving Again?

Dear Microsoft,

I am writing to let you know just how shoddy your products can be at times, while simultaneously pleading with you to finally fix the many bugs that seem determined to survive every software update.

I have reached the point where I am considering migrating to Google Docs, which generally works without drama, or perhaps returning to an Apple Mac, which works beautifully but never quite plays well with the Microsoft ecosystem that dominates my working life.

My question is simple:

Why can’t Microsoft Word work reliably every time I turn it on?

The last straw happened yesterday.

Copy and Paste Deleted My Work

 

I copied a section of text into my daily journal, where I keep drafts of poems, essays, columns, and other writing projects.

I made the mistake of assuming that Microsoft Word would behave itself.

I copied the text.

I pasted the text.

 

And somehow, through a process known only to software engineers and dark sorcerers, Word replaced the entire document with the copied text.

To add insult to injury, the Undo button suddenly stopped working.

Everything I had written over the previous several days vanished.

 

Gone.

 

Even though I had been saving my work.

I searched everywhere.

 

The saved version had apparently been transported to that mysterious digital graveyard where lost files, missing socks, and broken dreams go to die.

Fortunately, some of the material had already been posted elsewhere, and I was able to reconstruct about ninety percent of it.

Still, it was maddening.

While we are discussing copy and paste, why does the feature so often default to the previous item copied rather than the item I am trying to copy right now?

Sometimes I have to repeat the process three, four, or five times before it finally copies what I intended.

This is not a rare occurrence.

It happens often enough that I now distrust the clipboard more than I trust random strangers on the internet.

And that brings me to another recurring annoyance:

Num Lock Shifts to Numbers Only on a Random Basis.

Why does it randomly activate when I am writing?

One moment I am happily entering text.

The next moment my cursor begins producing streams of numbers.

Sometimes it appears to be endless strings of sixes:

666666666666666

 

At that point I briefly wonder whether my computer has become possessed.

I know the actual explanation is probably a keyboard shortcut or software glitch.

But demonic possession often seems equally plausible.

 

All CAPS TURNS ON A RANDOM BASIS

 

Like the Num Lock, occasionally without warning or reason, the All Caps button turns on .

 

Edge finally stopped defaulting to foreign languages whenever I logged in overseas.

That took far longer than it should have, but at least it is fixed.

 

Unfortunately, many other issues remain.

Search functions often return results that seem only vaguely related to what I am seeking.

Word occasionally freezes for no apparent reason.

Sometimes the File menu refuses to open.

Other times it opens the wrong document.

Sometimes documents half-open before immediately throwing an error message or kicking me back out.

There are occasions when a file will only open through a right-click workaround.

 

Then, when I try to save it, Word insists I must create a new filename because the original document can no longer be used.

 

On particularly bad days, the entire system enters “Not Responding” mode and remains there anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

 

During this period I am left staring helplessly at the screen, wondering whether my work has been saved or sacrificed.

Excel and I eventually parted ways entirely.

 

Excel Filing Importing Problems

 

Years ago, whenever I attempted to import information from another source, Excel would produce bizarre error messages claiming there were not enough fonts available to complete the operation.

Sometimes I clicked “OK” twenty times.

Once I clicked it nearly two hundred times before the process completed.

More often, Excel simply froze and took the rest of the computer down with it.

The solution was obvious –

abandon Excel and switch to Google Sheets,

which works like a charm and never crashes

 

Camera Permanent  Orange Tint

 

Lately, my camera has been displaying orange color tints, which is annoying on a Zoom call. I have reinstalled drivers and Windows 11, which appeared to have fixed the problem until yesterday, when the orange tint came back.  The fix lasted about a week.

Feedback Lots of Feedback but No Responses

 

I have submitted feedback-  Lots of feedback- for years.

Eventually, after considerable difficulty, I managed to access the feedback portal.

To my surprise, I received an official response assuring me that my suggestions were being read, collected, reviewed, prioritized, and considered.

Apparently, Microsoft employees read user comments every day.

I choose to believe this.  It gives me hope.  Even if many of my bug reports seem to have disappeared into the same digital abyss that swallowed my journal entries.

So I ask once more:

Can someone at Microsoft please fix the occasional copy-and-paste catastrophe, the random Num Lock attacks, the mysterious file-opening errors, the endless freezes, and the assorted gremlins living inside Word?

I offer this complaint in the spirit of humor, frustration, and constructive criticism.

After all, I spend much of my life using your products. I would simply like them to misbehave a little less often.

 

Kudos: Speech and Dictation Program Finally Working 90 Percent of the Time

Let’s end on a positive note, shall we? Your speech-to-text system works about ninety percent of the time now, which is a tremendous improvement from the early days when it seemed to understand roughly ten percent of what I said.

Your Read Aloud feature is also excellent.

Credit where credit is due.

 

Thank you.

 

I would love to hear from someone. Though experience suggests you will probably ignore me and my complaints.

 

Sincerely,

A Long-Suffering Microsoft User
Still Waiting for the Next Update

 

Upcoming Fun Run Prompts

 

 

September 5th:    The Doctor

 

September 6   the Key

Day 7

The Whispered Name

 

Day 8

The Inherited Journey

 

Day 9

The Light in the Woods

 

Day 10

The Sudden Laughter

Day 11

The Missed Email

 

Day 12

 

Day 13

Unfamilar song

Day 15

The abandoned Train

Day 16

The midnight phone call

Day 17

The Delivery

Day 18

The Golden Locket

 

Day 19

 

The secret passage used Naria portal poems

 

 

Day 20: Footsteps

Day 21

The musician used CAL Drummers’ poem

Day 22

The Cabin

Day 23

The encrypted Flash Drive

Day 24

The mysterious neighbor

 

Day 25

The solitary island –

Day 26

The Desert Oasis (related to Day 25)

Day 27

The sunken ship continuation of Day 25/Day 26

 

Day 28

The wandering child

 

Day 29

The unmarked grave – write a ghost poem

Day 30

The dog using the cosmic dog from Goa

 

 

 

September Blogging Challenge

writing Com BLog CHallenge

 

I am also participating in the September 30-Day Blogging Challenge. Rather than combining those entries with the Fun Run, I will publish them separately and provide weekly progress reports here.

Some planned topics include:

  • What Is Love? Explained to a Space Alien
  • When I Tried Being Vegetarian
  • Ethical Uses of AI in Writing
  • Reflections on E.E. Cummings
  • Why the Turkey Should Be America’s National Bird
  • Coffee-Drinking Poems
  • My Current Writing and Editing System

 

Looking Ahead

Day 4  Birth of Agriculture? ▶︎​ on the birth of beer and wine

Day 5: Debate: Writing Advice ▶︎​ how to use AI in writing ethically

Day 6: Satire ▶︎​Letter to President – Time to Clean up the Smut in the Smithsonian!

Day 7: cummingsesque ▶︎​ re=post review of EE Cummings

Day 8: Eradication Station ▶︎​ time to eliminate neo-nazis

Day 9: Deep Ponderings ▶︎​ repost reflections on social science

Day 10: On Biases ▶︎​ my political biases

Day 11: Your National Animal ▶︎​why not the turkey?

Day 12: Debate: The Death of Digital Truth ▶︎​ on deep fake videos poems etc

Day 13: On Compatibility ▶︎​ reflections on astrological compatibility

Day 14: Infinite Creativity ▶︎​ my muse and what it wants

Day 15: As You Like It ▶︎​  my favorite smoothie recipees

Day 16: Music! It’s About Music! ▶︎​ ode to Tower of Power

Day 17: Unexpectations ▶︎​TBC

Day 18: Auto-Brewery Syndrome ▶︎ TBC​

Day 19: Debate: Automated Judgment ▶︎ left vt right ​

Day 20: The Cure ▶︎​ reflection on cancer treatment

Day 21: What Can You Do? ▶︎​things I am good at

Day 22: Niche Market Blogging ▶︎​ political rant poetry

Day 23: Career Advice ▶︎​ my advice to young people re the State Department

Day 24: Morning Routine ▶︎​ coffee drinking poems

Day 25: Mafia YouTubers ▶︎​ on YouTube algorithms

Day 26: Debate: Pizza Toppings ▶︎​ my favorite pizza toppings

Day 27: Greatest Achievement ▶︎​ married dream girl

Day 28: The Craft of Writing ▶︎​  reflections on my current writing/editing system

Day 29: Lightning ▶︎​  TBC

Day 30: On Blog Prompts ▶︎​ what worked this month

The first three days of Writing Season have already produced more than 3,400 words, several new poems, political satire, a biblical retelling, and significant development of The COSMOS Chronicles.

In October, I will participate in Base Camp, using the daily prompts to organize and refine the poetry and short story projects I hope to complete this year.

In November, I plan to participate in The Marathon, focusing on completing first drafts of both my poetry collection and short story collection.

My goal is to spend December editing, revising, and preparing both manuscripts for submission beginning in January 2027, with publication hopefully following later in the year

.

Next Update: September 7, 2026.

 

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