.........

[[edit_out]]

metallic bearings shift smoothly
an exercise in efficiency they maintain
the proper amount of spacing
and minimize friction between the precisely machined parts
of the cold, hard automaton
18 days!
it hasn’t stopped moving
digging down, straight down
24172 feet since the machine
began it’s labours
now buried beneath the scab of earth it once stood above
it reaches maximum operating temperature
the bearings grind to a halt