The Public Life Of Neo

 The Purple Rain Fell Softly
Nineteen Ninety-Nine
Block Party In Twin Cities
It Was A Riot, And It Was Quiet Elsewhere

Cattle grazed and sheep lowed
While My Sister Gave Birth
Nolan Was Born Into Worlds
of Cowboys And Indians

Electronic Games and Guns
and Tea Shopping Online
dot COM Bubble Hadn't Popped
Twin Towers Hadn't Fallen

Oh What A Different World 26 years Later
I hardly recognize Myself... yet...
Digital Revolution Came For Me In The Eighties
The MATRIX Back Then Was Public Life
Whenever You Left The House, Essentially

And Computers Helped Us Escape
Electronics Were Human Made
Tron Had Just Come Out
And Electronic Stores Sold Parts

My Confession Is Not Unique
We Have No Idea How Isolated and Lonely
Existence Really Is Until We Look Up
And Watch Stars Light Years Away

That's How The Cookie Crumbles
Building Community Needs Bridges
Pontifex Maximus And Coterie Of Saints
Now aDays We Gossip Online World Wide Web

And The Bridges?  Also Online
Doesn't Fill That Need For 'I'
Without Pregnant Silence
And Searching Better Days