Insert Coin Poem by Ryan Van Cleave

I came upon
A dull machine
it read 'the world'
In blue and green

I took it home
Blew off the dust
It's working parts
had hints of rust

I spied some text
It read in gray
'inser coin-
One life per play'

I fished in my pocket
Threw in some change
And at that moment
it rearranged

It turned to 'on'
Began to start
Billions of
moving parts

Gray clouds parted
To seas of blue
Vibrant greens
Of every hue

Then it began
To whir and spin
Before I noticed
I was in

The sky was bright
A burning sun
From dawn to dusk
In the sky it spun

As I explored
Day turned to night
Out came the moon
A lovely sight

As twilight faded
I lay down to rest
A peaceful dream
This place was the best

I awoke the next morning
To a terrible sound
A man had been shot
He lay dead on the ground

Policemen came
found tracks in the mud
Three holes in his chest
And a puddle of blood

Lightning crackled
Thunder roared
A shiver through
My spinal cord

A storm was coming
Once more to reign
To bring sadness, sorrow,
Feelings of pain

I thought as the rain
Poured from the skies
What seemed like beauty
Was sorrow disguised

Another day passed
And soon a week
A month a year
No track to keep

Each day spent
Full of new mistakes
Disasters and bruises
Lives at stake

This day I speak of
In 93'
The day I set
This monster free

Was eighteen years
Ago today
But I don't look back
On it with dismay

For during my stay
I came to see
That though I set
A monster free

It came as a package
A two for one with
The shining moon
And the burning sun

For every frown
A smile appeared
For every laugh
A matching tear

A yin A yang
A balanced scale
For every win
An equal fail

A world of dirt
Of land and sea
A game without
A referee

A world of death
A world of birth
A world of life
A place called Earth