Tunnels Made All Publics Private

I. Tunnels 

We traded all shades of green comfort for life 

underground, sequestered from solar wind 

in a muted world: hushed breath travels 

like brazen footsteps, and the brightest 

colors known are derived from blood. 

II. Made 

Reinforced concrete denotes the power of all

-ocation: resources beyond the control of most. 

Municipal structures require geometric precision 

and coordination of skilled labor. To dig beyond 

the public map requires secrecy or permission. 

III. All 

All the passageways are thin enough to hold by force 

All the air is cycled through a re-enrichment bay 

All the locks have finite keys, and every key a hand 

All the calories are measured by the solar day 

All the human problems traveled with us underground

IV. Publics 

The early rush, down and in, welcomed first 

from surface life: subway stations, open mines, 

anyplace with air for breath. Then it started 

dissipating—bloodlung spread through towns outside— 

Scattered forces mobilized to shape the new world underground. 

V. Private 

When every change of scene occurs 

in narrow doorways carved from earth, 

nothing exists out in the open. There 

is only another closed on the other side, 

and the intimate knock on the door—

D.W. Baker is a poet and editor from St. Petersburg, Florida. His work appears in Voidspace Zine, Black Glass Pages, Soft Star Magazine, and Modern Haiku, among others, and has been nominated for Best of the Net. He reads for several mastheads including Variant Lit and Libre. See more of his work at www.dwbakerpoetry.com.