Life is Different…

By Andrew R. Duckworth

The red lights beyond the traffic
Are only there to oppress,
Like the cage we live in,
Halt your course of action.
You can’t have the satisfaction,
Stripping the tires of traction.
Downtown seems rather drab,
Pass by the neighbors
Like they’re strangers,
No passing “hello,”
Eyes straight, unflinching.
There were lively colors once
Before they turned to gray
Even in the brightest time of day.
Life is different than before
When we were wading in the waters
Of naive innocence
Until we found the deep end.
Tomorrow, we won’t worry
About red lights beyond traffic,
When we will watch our every move,
Our every action, every word,
Because surveillance will
Drive the world absurd.