New Realism

They drove us from the land on which
we fed
into town and city
They starved us lest their bidding we did
to labour without pity

They drove us from the streets on which
we met
into pub and hovel
They beat us lest our voices we quelled
to listen and to grovel

They drove us from halls in which we
gathered
into suburb and flat
They sent us papers and screens
commending us
to apathy and tat

They drove the sight out of the world
from our eyes
with censorship and soap
But our eyes still wandered towards the
land
and lingered yet in hope

They drove our heads into wired iron
hats
of myth and fantasy
We found ourselves back on the land
in virtual reality.
                                                      Peter Nielsen