nestled in the pristine mountains
clean air, tall green pines and firs
nice white homes garnished with
lush lawns full double garages
a town of lovingly tended gardens
it’s a great place to live.
in the crisp peace of dawn
he gets up to weed runner beans
to deadhead climbing roses
to eat ham and eggs with the family
he walks the dog reads the paper
then he drops his son at baseball practice.
he drives through guarded gates
to his office deep in a hillside
opens many locked doors
to a secret chapel filled with
big screens and banks of blinking controls
he finds their peaceful hum soothing.
all day he presses keys moves images
studies virtual maps of a distant land
his hands command the keyboard
his drones discharge their load
he eliminates six mountain villages before
leaving to take his daughter to a birthday party.
TW 2009
