Once upon a time there were archetypes:
rectangular pillars, five percent akin to humans.
and there was a furnace of molten metal,
raining fire through the air.

Through blurred vision,
a colossal mechanical arm revolves
metal droplets are shredded
and they dissipate as wisps.

The earth, cracked
The hills, rusted
The hummocks, chillblained
The pinnacles, queued

A horizontal line, the sun drawn
head from torso, severed
rising up from rooting down, separated
the veins in the rock like prosciutto, cured

Arrays of pinnacles, thin and tall
— let me see: who is the next one to fall?
to be sacrificed and forgotten by all?
The sun stole a peek above that unyielding wall.

Monument valley has stood there since long before
everyone spoke and no one forbore
the first day eased into the first night
the light shaped the shadow, which reshaped the light.

Against the terrain's backdrop
no breath withheld, no heartbeat bereft;
so that breath and heartbeat may be heard
distinct, unconfused, and undisturbed.

The planet, carved; the mountains, chiselled
along an eerie curve, the smoke chased
to replace the invisible veil, the smoke aimed
as the mystery-inducer, so it can be praised.

Wind hurls up sands in mimicry of smoke
viewed from far, far away,
the dunes wear a dusty cloak
it does, indeed, resemble smoke.

O, do not bind the crest of a dune
to the unattainable horizon,
for the horizon has no desire to commune
with the dance that the cloud's shadow cast.

O, the shadow of the cloud —
that is the invisible veil
Look: the mountains are caressed,
receiving the intimate touch for which they begged.

The bat cave. Dark.
They say lives enter the cave on foot,
and fly out on wings —
with purposeless purpose, they embark.

The camera's shutter closed their eyes.
A glimpse of the sky is caught
through layers of thick cloud
through the hinderance of heavy eyelashes.

Crawling and encroaching
tumbling and fumbling
are they tides, or are they moisture?
They are varied strokes of the same doodling.

Waters hurry to delineate the space
an emerald lining along the cliff's sharp face,
teeming with bubbles, indifferent to vision
whether clear or murky, it invites tension

The sky announces a brighter blue
lighter now, more cheerful too.
The clouds are in a hurry to menace,
yet unable to flee their essence.

Tides look like crystals as though they freeze.
Too much tides elate me, then choke me as though they tease.
Tides are at war in an uproar,
clashing from opposite, estranged shores.

Destroy!
The clouds grind low against the ridge.
March forward! Pouring down!
Plunge in, and devour the green verge!

Close to the canopy, yet floating above,
the lake wears its green, but lies calmer than the cove.
Winner of every placidity competition,
the back-to-back champion by unanimous decision.

Orchards are golden, purple, crimson,
Fields are pied, streaked, watercolored.
A monument goes alone in the midst of a lake;
difficult to tell is a pathless path to take.

Closer up, icebergs collapse
landforms erode as seconds elapse
no escape from the decay into the pale
and there ends the vanishing tale

O machines! O machines! March onward.
Black smoke climbs the hills, rising upward.
O monuments! Bear witness to me!
Electric cables climb the hills, marching onward.

Fast-spinning pipes leave me uneasy.
for they are mighty — all too mighty!
too mighty to behold, even with one sweeping glance
smokestacks drive my senses dizzy.

Arrays of chimneys, like rocket in construction
between the ponds, dams winding like ribbons
colored ponds, like panels of stained glass
a mighty dam encloses the formless in a semicircular mass

Man steering machines
man smelting metals
man crushing stones
man transforming matters

Mushroom cloud; lonely cactus
all at once, the fiery mushroom blackens
a darker mushroom blots out sight
surging to a formidable height in ardent fight

An engulfing abyss obscures the sky.
Still, the lonely cactus stands unwanted, nearby.
Drowsy men sleep on the beach beside a factory;
passing clouds caress a blue facade with flattery

An aircraft lands, barely visible through fog;
iridescent reflections shimmer on the runway as it rolls to a stop.
Mighty engines; mighty skeletons —
on foot they hop, on wings they teleport.

Those windshields on the aircraft are its eyes;
together, they compose a countenance —
it reminds me of Olaf in Frozen
I know, that is a stretchy resemblance.

Highways, automobiles, obey the chalk lines,
obey the chalk lines, roll forward in time!
Run! Run along those parallel lines!
Run! Run toward the one ahead in line!

Where are you going? Don't you worry;
the one ahead of you must know the story!
How do I know they know? Don't you worry;
someone ahead of them must know the story!
or else why would we be running in such a frantic hurry?

Parking lot, tank lot,
pointed tubes, pointed noses
fighter planes swollen with pride —
there is no mockery, only pure pride!

Across the textureless desert
fly the missiles!
And the rockets!
scarring the sky's empty pockets

Spaceships! Carriers! How grandeur!
Make sure all glorify E=mc²
Parachutes, returning chambers, one fatal error
one second later: rupture and abrupt terror.

Mighty destroyers!
They spawn their little missiles;
farther and farther they fly,
overlooking the fields with sneers sly.

Mighty skyscrapers clothed in invisible veils
harboring movements before they go awry.
Along the river bank, monuments multiply,
denser and closer, while cranky creatures vie.

Ruins — ruins of once-mighty machines
windows leave rusty shadows underneath
like tears unwilling to leave their sockets
life enters on foot and exits through wreckage

Lonely curtains draped outside the windows
eager to look at the lonely playground;
lonely lamp-shades dangling from the lamppost
liveliness is no where to be found

Buildings like hardened loaves of bread.
so many holes, like caves gone dead;
so many holes, packed and freaky;
what they shelter has gone restless and squeaky.

The camera brings me grievous sights
broken windows, jagged edges, evils to purge
unsettling, from the rooftop heights
so many holes from which blood might surge

Razed down to the ground!
All are reclaimed by waiting land.
metals fall, as icebergs fall,
and mighty gravity swallows all.

Lonely birds — how lucky, to defy gravity;
lonely telephone booths with wretched doors.
metals are in a hurry to menace,
yet unable to flee their essence.

San francisco —
O, is this San Francisco?
Clouds are blankets over the city;
debris tumbles like tides, fold by fold.

Facades pay their salute
saluting in every direction
refracted rays bend and intrude
distorting your amorphous apparition

Humans are like worms
vibrating against invisible beats
human worms advance one step at a time
crawling slowly up the streets.

Mighty billboards cast mighty spellings
coke-cola catches my attention,
against the backdrop of worm-filled streets
vehicles cleave through the worms — what a stunt!

A pilot leans against his beloved engine
ladies wear makeup and manufactured smiles
electricity, were it granted a color, must be green —
venom green, eerie green, green as a viper's pupil

Run, never mind the direction,
and don't you dare stop to question!
Run toward the one ahead of you,
for surely they must know the direction!

Green glow, blue glow
streets happen to gleam like emerald
Gold lights, red lights, warm lights, cool lights,
vehicles moving like beetles, shining bright.

Am I gazing upon a game interface?
O giant moon, rising to kiss the facade!
Human beings move in flickers
through buildings teeming with yellow-green glow.

Fast beetles, faster beetles,
along the body of a meandering snake.
Press your petal, there is no red light!
Merge onto the highway, buckle up and hold on tight!

Another sunrise, bright and demanding;
busy and fast-paced, another day!
Crowded as ever, you must keep moving;
doubtful while dashing, find your way!

Heads up, watch for signs;
heads down, watch your footsteps,
O, mighty transportation system;
what a stunt, what a conquest!

Bridges, bridging dreams to meals
elevators, elevating high, fine heels
revolving doors revolve with perfumed tresses
and every motion carries you somewhere real!

Seamlessly chained machines churn pages;
patch it, install it, sew the gaps together;
handle it, inspect it, chop it, sort it!
move, move fast, faster! or be left forever!

Elevators, elevating humans heading home.
Merge onto the highway, pass those cars!
Race, solve the maze, I know the next fun place to go!
When things speed up, it's all a meaningless show.

Grocery, cinema, bowling games —
come, go, come, go, come and go.
Grab this, grab that, quick, quick, quick,
the budget of time is running low.

Quick meal, quick stop, quick drink, quick buy
clapping for efficiency, what a lie
all this rushing, breath by breath
toward the terminal: the tomb of death

Welding workers, flying sparks —
are you scared when they burst?
oil it, smooth it, slice it, polish it;
print paper into cash, meat into salami first.

Assembled cars descend from the ceiling
brand new, functional, newest model
high heels and gloves, hat and purse
mighty tunnels bear the mighty bustle

A mighty mole-burrow entrance
to the mighty underground rail
carries you toward any mole-burrow
depending on where you choose to unveil.

Revolving doors echo the social whirl
flashing screens blunt the screen-less world
news, media, what the hell happened?
did you see it? have you heard?

Someone died, someone was caught,
don't look sideways, keep your gaze down,
as though nothing had happened
we simply pass by, pass through town.

Destroy! Let it blaze and burn.
Los Angeles St — take the right turn.
a dancing floor of colored squares
pixelated games muffle the nightmares.

Silence descends in a deafening blast
the districts look steeped in blood
bloody blood dyes the rivers
and the canals — now everything floods

We are inside an electricity board:
unrecognizable glitches and intricate geometry.
We have entered a labyrinthine matrix:
dispatchers, connectors, and intricate circuitry.

O, does the electricity board not resemble
our districts, when viewed from far above?
Moving lights travel along pasted wires;
designated routes, follow the signs thereof.

Lights on, lights off
cigarettes lit, cigarettes out
furrowed brows, puzzled looks
alerted looks, casual looks

I hope I could still enter this elevator
— I only have to squeeze.
The train is arriving — shall I climb aboard,
or book a boat tour to catch the breeze?

Do you dare to let your gaze
rest upon what you behold?
No, you do not, you turn around and run
from bewilderment, vanity, and hatred sold.

Lonely firefighters, lonely boots
lonely paddle-fans, lonely coins
lonely patients, lonely beds
a lonely needle pierces a lonely vessel

Eyes opened, eyes locked
gaze shifted, gaze lost
many papers, many registers
many phantoms faithful to the plot

Fragments flutter like snowflakes
let the snowstorm erase what it breaks
the rocket is launched, sticking to its planned course
what a mighty propeller, what a mighty force!

All at once — an explosion!
Splintering! Shattering! Squandering oxygen!
Lonely flame, lonely waste, and lonely squanderer
burned to a tiny flake in the lonely wake of oblivion.

Free fall — no planned course
with no ceremony and no enemy
a free destiny, a free fall
with no command and no issued call

Wrinkled terrain, wrinkled rock
whimsy sketches about to talk
rock paintings, red and brown
there are ghosts, grin and frown