David Kausek

New York City
The epitome of one’s dream
The Illusionist selling distractions
A empty promise to fill a void
A man laughing paranoid
Safety is not guaranteed
Only the possibility of passage
The tunnel is a portal
Dirty and distorted
The grime behind the curtain
A sickly green light overhead
A thin coat of paint
Strange smells from strange people
A physical illness of a system
Built to favor motorists
The price of a ride
Sometimes magical
Sometimes violent
But most often mundane
A rat preaching to the roaches
Partial cognition of a troubled soul
The message has no meaning
Intentions are good… perhaps??
A ego massage for the clown without a pulpit
His message has no meaning
Only sounds of concern
Causing even more concern
Dog whistles for the mentally ill
Subservient to a system of control
“All hail king dumbass!”
The jester frowns in dissatisfaction
A corporate tool used to extract value
Chasing phantoms of material wealth
A soulless body
An empty shell
Too afraid to grow
No ghost in his machine
Best replaced by a bot
Bossman say “why not?”
He will not be missed
Fortunes gained by those left behind
A sketch of reality
Cognitive bias
The mind searches for patterns
Trying to make sense of the senseless
Bury your head in fear
There is no shelter here
All aboard the absurdity express
Wow, the subway!
I’m impressed!!!

Original poem by David Kausek 2023