I've built a castle in my mind
A sturdy fort of solitude
With turrets I could hide behind
But find, alas, there is no food

Sometimes I'll drop the drawbridge down
Cross the moat and with my mates
Seek out imagined palace grounds
But picnics there have empty plates

I could hop online on a virtual tour
Of museums, buildings, pubs and streets
Of mountains, waterfalls and more
But there'd be no veg, no fish, no meats

I could sink myself in a VR game
Choose any name or role in life
A scheming thug, a Prince or Dame
But not pick up a fork or knife

I could lose myself in a work of art
Or watch a thriller on the telly
Feast my eyes, my brain, my heart
But still end with an empty belly

I could throw myself in a damn good book
A Seussian poem or a Tolstoy novel
But there I'd find no real-world cook
No green eggs - even if I grovel

I can shut my eyes with headphones on
Tune out the world, tune in fresh hope
And immerse myself, but before too long
My stomach grumbles and can't cope

No, I am no fan of reality
Where there's too much stress to fight and feel
But for all it's faults and banality
I go there for a decent meal