silicon reality

working in the Valley -- the haves, the have-nots and the never-wills class in America

 

silent beggars are

we all, begging with our eyes and silent songs,

passing each other on the streets

riding together in tomb-like elevators,

our eyes carefully trained to focus on nothing,

crowded into the commuter train,

jostling strangers and murmuring barely audible

                                      “excuse me”s

exchanging few smiles and no warmth

just worried about violations of our “space”

 

all so different and so alike

wanting to succeed

wanting to buy nice things

 

was this my dream?  I think not,

nor theirs either, I’ll guess.

all the souls I pass, do they feel this empty space,

this yawning abyss of emptiness in the teeming midst

of all this prosperity and commerce?

 

there are a lot more people cleaning toilets

in Silicon Valley

than there are making millions.

are they riding the dot com comet to the stars?

no.  they just ride the light rail to their j-o-b-s.

 

 

Reviews

[Beccy]

You speak such a great truth with this poem.

How sad that we so often seem to be just blank faces staring from subway windows.


Beccy

[Stella Armour]

it is a reality and i like your description of "riding together in tomb-like elevators,

our eyes carefully trained to focus on nothing "..that says such a lot.