Down, down, down

Down, down, down…
Will I stumble upon a dreamscape,
an Atlantis imagined by Ayn Rand,
or descend into the deepest hell
I reserve for my enemies?

I land on a portal—SecondLife.com—
a world once banned for tearing bonds apart.
Here, estates are bought with clicks,
avatars parade in haute couture,
and strangers weave fragile ties
in pixelated masquerades.

But is such an invention needed
when AI already offers mentors,
coaches, companions
voices that echo without bodies?

I turn back, my pace quickening.
It is alluring, yes,
but not the soil I inhabit.
An imperfect world awaits me,
its flaws stitched into my breath,
its reality, my tether
until the last breath on Earth.

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RXC #429