The boy raised by machines

The boy raised by machines;

he bleeped and clicked and whirred;

he bleeped and clicked and whirred

because computer words

are all he’d ever heard.

His eyes were blank like screens

and he rolled round on wheels;

he rolled around on wheels;

ate vending machine meals

and knew not how to feel.

He preferred filtered air;

light bulbs instead of sun;

(he did not like the sun)

and did calculations

while other kids had fun.

He longed for wire hair

jaws like a pedal bin

and stainless steel for skin,

like his robotic kin,

to match the steel within.