kirsten

beyond the distance is Kirsten
she's seen plenty before
But never death, never
she is only a girl, stuck on the top
Of a high rise identical to the millions behind her

today she has no power beyond the cage she built herself
and still she rushes down the steps
Stairs, because elevators are 'un-environmental' and 'costly'
Besides, of course, they allow for 'freedom' and 'danger'
of course she does not get there in time
around the sixteenth floor she sees the man landing
he is not dead, not yet
but as his chest lifts from the dirty ground there is a crack
around him are thousands who neither see him or desire to, a broken
man, a poor man, economically worthless
he stumbles,
he falls,
he is dead.

they did not see him at the top of the world
not even strings to keep him safe, because in those days the concept
of safety had been replaced already by growth and efficiency
does not efficency imply progress with few setbacks? he had inquired
but with a family of eight and the population ever- growing
life had become worthless
so there he had stood, at the top of the world
dismantling the works of those like him, before him
one misstep, his face still confused
in awe of the world around him, metal frames reflecting
'beautiful' light, for he had never seen snow
one misstep, and he found himself standing on air
standing on air.

I was there, but more of a ghost than anything else
a dream of a memory, but not a memory
perhaps just a prophecy
for I had stood there, like a bird, watching the scene
glorious as they dragged architectural wonders down stairs that
seemed to float, they did not have a foundation
although they claimed their work was reminiscent of the pharoahs
that it was a recession for the sake of progress, because
who needs the past? take their materials, the geniuses who made them
take them to make ever more powerful bombs

and taller buildings to fall off