On The Bright Side

For the first time
In what feels like years
He wakes without the fear
Begins to walk
And the first thing he notices
Are cars
Carscarscarscarscarscars
Until he knows
There can’t possibly be
People for them all

Hears the distant rumble
Of more cars
Cars assailing the senses
In a collective drone

He retreats to the river
Only to find
Yellow dinosaurs and orange men
Replacing the muddy bank
With handrails
Astroturf and airbags

The howling
Of mechanical lizards
Mixes with the roar of cars
And he flees
Nearly screaming to a forest
Where he uncovers
Plastic heads
Painting X’s on trees
And whistling
For the grinding of steel teeth

Covering eyes and ears
He stumbles home
To his cats
His faith in humanity
Restored