Shrouded in shadows in the deepest of nights

The empty streets below, desolate of life

Dull is the roar of metropolis traffic

Of slight comfort, to an anxious affect

There is no danger to be wary of here

But nor is there chance for respite, to be clear

Time marches forward in ceaseless advance

With it comes fear, of nefarious class

Strive to suppress it no matter the cost

Triumph over failure, else suffer the loss

A burden too heavy on incapable shoulder

The thought chills your being, your soul degrees colder

The rules of the game are stringently outlined

The defeated discarded, the victors sublime

In desolation and despair the mind reels in horror

At the realization perhaps, you are the former

To falter is luxury you are acutely denied

A self-imposed dictum, by which you abide

For actions taken go beyond one's existence

The consequence of which, are far-reaching and distant

Doubt and depression both scream and demand

An obscene spectacle, to which you are damned

But the global machinery keeps clanking and turning

There is little consideration, towards you and your yearning

Depersonalization ensures emotion forsaken

You subdue the thoughts, that color you craven

If there is no solace to be had in a places uncaring

Then refuse to relent, in a world unrelenting

'Automaton' comes in spirit of revilement

The Nietzschean prophecy, abyss in fulfillment

What was once duress now determined as function

Pressure becomes drive, fear incorporate to compulsion

Transformation complete you gaze out to dark skies

A pouring of rain, for what humanity decried

A tempered window reveals your reflection asunder

Inquiry betrays your lips, 'How long will it last, I wonder?'