Persistence
Waking, I twiddle digital knobs
tweaking O2 levels
air-conditioning floods
my sky-reaching home with
breathable levels of this rare gas.
Rising from hyperbaric chamber
blinds automatically open upon
concrete-covered landscape;
once flourishing forests
razed memories.
I swallow a tablet
cringing at bitterness;
water recycled from waste
the only consumable liquid
remaining.
Via holographic display
my son boasts of
cybernetic augmentation
replacement for failing organs;
human touch a vague dream.
For the drive to work
I don full body suit
its reflective surfaces
protection against
instant sunburn.
Sulphuric mist
fills the atmosphere
toxic gases kill
virulent viruses
the dominant lifeform.
Depressurised at work
I operate digital console
manoeuvring robotic drills
closing in on Earth’s core
the last untapped resource.
When darkness falls
I retire to hyperbaric chamber
this womb of protection
humanity’s final defence
against past negligence.
© A. R. Levett 2021
tweaking O2 levels
air-conditioning floods
my sky-reaching home with
breathable levels of this rare gas.
Rising from hyperbaric chamber
blinds automatically open upon
concrete-covered landscape;
once flourishing forests
razed memories.
I swallow a tablet
cringing at bitterness;
water recycled from waste
the only consumable liquid
remaining.
Via holographic display
my son boasts of
cybernetic augmentation
replacement for failing organs;
human touch a vague dream.
For the drive to work
I don full body suit
its reflective surfaces
protection against
instant sunburn.
Sulphuric mist
fills the atmosphere
toxic gases kill
virulent viruses
the dominant lifeform.
Depressurised at work
I operate digital console
manoeuvring robotic drills
closing in on Earth’s core
the last untapped resource.
When darkness falls
I retire to hyperbaric chamber
this womb of protection
humanity’s final defence
against past negligence.
© A. R. Levett 2021
