The War I can Win

The War I can Win

I am a programmer who knows clever tricks
I convert integers to bases two to thirty six
By using character arrays as strings
I can show you amazing math things

While others talk about politics and sports
I read about computers of all sorts
Programming languages are all the same
When you see arithmetic as a game

I don’t write code for a job to be paid
But to understand the video games I played
To see what works and find out why
To create, use, study, share, and modify

I support Free Software and Open Source
It is a philosophy that I can endorse
Who can own a number, even a single bit?
Or tell me what I am allowed to do with it?

I fight for users who love the games of old
Who rebel and don’t do what we are told
I made a Tetris game and they said it was no good
And that I broke copyright like no one should

But who decides which person can play a game
In math and entertainment there is no shame
Can anyone own a letter color or a square?
I will fight and debate you if you even dare

Because integer math is the one war I can win
I wrote the code myself and committed no sin
And I can tell you that for every byte array
There is a game hidden that only a hacker can play

To humans I am nothing but just a transgender freak
And evil men can kill my body because it is weak
But the computer has no bias and means me no harm.
In this digital world I am safe and I feel no alarm

No matter what compiler, language, or tool
When I code the people see I am not a fool
If you take my computer, I am still in control
Because the numbers are part of me deep in my soul

This world is often sad but I still have a great dream
Where we all work together as part of the same team
And that every person can experience the ultimate thrill
Of the binary code that flows where no man can ever kill