The 24th

Living such a humbled life. Perched on the 24th slab, I examine what life there is beyond this glass prison. Where have all my dreams retired?

I watch the cars below. They remind me of the toys I used to play with as a kid. They seem to move in unison, though I know better than that. They almost always just think for themselves. They are all their own kings of the road. And their destination is the only one that matters. They have a rightful claim to each of their paths. They think as individuals. They have no sense of oneness. But from up here it's clear that they are bound together by a greater force and they think and act as they are meant to, with or without them knowing so.

I look around and see that I am surrounded by towers of glass. Clear sheets separate the world as we know it and the secret world that thrives inside these tall structures. These sheets are one-sided. Outside, they give off a reflection of the world. See what you want to see, but don't see more than what's on the surface. After a while, these marvelous mirrors seem impersonal. Who knows what monsters run the wheels of commerce? No one does. Everyone has an idea, but no one pursues them. We all acknowledge the existence of the evils that be, but everyone is involved, so everyone just doesn't talk.

I look around again and I see the sky peeking in on this man made wonderland. That is the sky of my youth. The sun of all my hopes and aspirations.

Where are my sunny days? When will the trees embrace me again? When will I run through the green fields? It was another lifetime since I last felt that free.

All that surround me now are concrete walls. I am bound by chilling rows of glass. This white light tries to replace the sun. This cool air tries to replace the wind. This desk tries to replace a life. This world tries to replace a dream.