Caught in the grips of techno-joy
Mired in molasses traffic
Wrestling my cosmopolitan woes
A sudden wild wind catches me by the heart
And I am not here and not now.

Under the ubiquitous sidewalk
I smell the remembrance of trees
And it occurs to me that 
This is not my place or purpose.

I remember moonlit serenades in fields 
Under countless enchanted stars
When they were still the eyes of my ancestors
Before I knew they were cold, scientific things.

I remember lifetimes of journeys
Exploration for the sake of adventure
When the world still held unknowns
Before every corner had been measured and mapped.

I remember the power of belief
Awe of things beyond your ken
When the earth was a living thing to be respected
And faith was more than a buzzword.

I remember that I am the heiress of history
A walking memorial 
To heroes and kings, poets and warriors.
Under the clamor of the city
Their voices resound in my ears -

"Is this what our greatness has come to?
Is this what our wonders have wrought?
Our lifeblood poured into the earth
So that you could sip latte in a trendy cafe
And tap pale poetry onto electric pages?"

The wind tears at my senses and 
I do not know why I am crying.