Mind the Tape

Let the whole outside world
consist of paper tape—
mark it with ones and naughts
all up and down.

When are we done here? Well,
it's hard to say because
once we get started there
won't be a bound

on the ticks of the tape,
or the ink in the pen,
or the time on the clock of
our digital space.

All that God asks from
his blessed machines is that
all of their markings are
in the right place.