Yesterday...
by Knux Lee Echidna

Yesterday, when I opened my window,
Flourishing Mobotropolis, bright as heaven.
Happy children roamed around running,
Without a care in the world.
The King's carriage zoomed past,
The Flickies sang a song of ancients.
The air so clean, so free,
The smell of fresh chilli from the stall nearby.
And as a child, I explored with joy,
Through fields, rivers and forests evergreen.
And as the day ended, the stars shone bright.
Another day was coming, I thought as I slept.

Today, when I opened my window,
I see Robotropolis, dark and dank as hell.
Metal beings clanked around walking,
Without free will, doomed to slave away.
The evil dictator's ship flew past,
A song of death and bloodshed thronged my ears.
And throughout the day, night and all,
The smell of smoke and blood was king.
And I myself, forced to work without rest,
In this metallic body, doomed to die.
Just another routine day, slaving at a mine,
Life so dark, hope so dim, but with no choice.

And perhaps tomorrow I shall open my window,
And none but God knows what shall I see.
Would it be greener pastures, quiet streams,
Or dark alleys and blood-stained streets?
The Royal Palace, the courtyard, and all,
Or a dark dome, polluted air, and no hope?
I can only hope, yes hope for God's grace,
To be released from a nightmare, that never seems to end.
For I understand not how life changes so fast,
But as for me, I still live in the past.
Those gold-paved streets, those gardens so green,
Seem a long way off, but might not be in the end.

5th March 1999