The sentinels protect us
From danger from above–
They have no sense of duty
They have no sense of love–
But their programming’s infallible,
We know, our leaders said–
It better be, ‘cause if they fail,
We will all be dead.
The aliens are coming,
I heard the newsman say–
They’re flying here to get us
From a planet far away–
So to protect my freedom,
So I don’t have to fret,
I must learn to live contentedly
Beneath the robots’ net.
I used to dream of traveling
Up there among stars–
Of mining fields on Venus
Of colonies on Mars–
But my dreams have now been grounded
My thoughts are nothing worth,
My ambition’s now been bounded–
Down here on this earth.
–A. A. Rubin
A. A. Rubin 