Cables spread under a city, like ant tracks

A life led underground, hidden and dark

Some leading vertically behind office walls

Mainly straight, making their connections

And alive, almost as if wire in the blood

Beneath streets, fields, but undetectable

Yet a line of signals moving like tiny ants

Albeit with insulation to avoid corruption

Carrying messages, sometimes just power

But often coordinated at some local hub

Sending instructions about what or when

And hardly a hum that can be detected

            Always in straight paths

            Bits and bytes as tiny feet

            Humble yet crucial

Howard Osborne is a UK citizen, retired. Published author of non-fiction reference book, scientific papers and poetry. Interests mainly creative writing (poetry, novel, short stories, songs and scripts), music and travel.