<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">The Gods of the Millennium</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">The god of expectations made money like mad, made money like </div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">butter in a churn, poured it out like butter over popcorn, </div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">on the deserving and covetous alike. The god of expectations was </div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">blessed and applauded.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">And that was a good year.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">The god of approximations made the kingdom almost come. </div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">Granted, There were brush wars, small wars, minor contusions on</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">the world map. There were bombings on high and sanctions</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">against expendable children and a general mood of discontent</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">and 'Get the bustards'.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">But still, by and large the sanctuaries were full and the</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">preachers preached and the collections came in and the</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">authorities sat straight in the front pews of the national</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">cathedral. The president entered the bully pulpit to intone an</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">infallible irrefutable doctrine of bloody tit for tat.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">And that was a good year.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">The god of contemplation made humans spin like spinning prayer</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">wheels. Seated on a bed of gold, like a lotus in its native</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">element, he intoned; you think therefore you are. Think, think.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">So they thought and thought and they were and were.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">And that was a good year.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">The god of Christians staggered up a hill, dragging a plank of</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">wood heavy as a plowshare. Like a plowshare the plank made a</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">furrow; from the furrow sprang armed warriors, redundant lives,</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">talking skulls, disconsolate dragons, teeth on edge, followed</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">by a multitude of martyrs, clothed in their blood. A girl</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">named Cassandra brought up the rear, raving into the wind.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">That procession? It was of small moment and went all but</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">unnoticed.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">Except for this; with regard to money, war, bully pulpits and </div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class="">prayer wheels - that was a very bad year.</div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); white-space: pre;"> </span><font color="#222222" class="">- Daniel Kerrigan</font></div><div style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><font color="#222222" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> 1922-2016</font></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></body></html>