The beating of the alien machinery
Pounding within my head
The strange reverberations of gears meshing
The inhaling and exhaling of the hydraulics
The electric smell of the circuit boards
The twinkling of the lights
Like so many stars
In a two-dimensional sky
Everything moving with precision
And yet
Something is not quite right
What is this apparatus
This piece of alien hardware?
Is this my dream
Or have I awakened in someone else’s nightmare?
And what if I were to die
Would the machinery continue to function?
So many questions for which I haven’t any answers
I’m just content to let the batteries die
And not replace them
