New Realism (1992)

From the December 1992 issue of the Socialist Standard

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