PRISON

Picture Courtesy: www.ibtimes.com


Hurriedly,
As though the devil himself
On their tails,
Clutching briefcases,
With shiny faces
And angled edges in degrees of perfect 90,
Wearing smooth faces,
Yet grim faces,
Cursing Mondays,
Oh poor Monday,
Praying another Friday,
Oh good Fridays.


Just so they can venture farther,
Farther than the walls,
Of those complex office complexes,
Those shiny metallic mules called cars,
Air-conditioned prison cells
Handed them as incentives by wardens,
With those on the lower tiers,
Shouting,
A pay rise,
That would be good enough incentive for me,
They the inmates of an intricate prison,
Praying they do not fall afoul,
For after that cometh the warden’s wrath.


Come Friday evenings,
Right through to Sunday,
They manage forget all about their
Elaborate prisons,
Adorned with art and computers alike,
With staple guns and stationery,
Littering desks from the top floors
Right down to ground floor,
Slamming the closet shut on their
Shiny tailor-made prison uniforms,
They call suits if only for but a while.


Come Monday,
The warden sure does call,
Beating the gong in the town square,
Out in groups of two, three or more,
They will come scurrying out,
Like rabbits with ferrets on their tails,
It’s back to prison all over again,
Where parole comes only at 60,
And a dishonourable discharge,
A possibility everyday,


You can find these and more,
Only in prisons that require one be educated,
Possessing many degrees,
With a perfect command of the English Language,
Just so they can submit an application,
To become the newest recruit,
In a burgeoning fancy modern facility,
With lavatories boasting heated seats,
Walls choking on expensive oil-based paint,
And floors boasting more marble,
Than stone quarries could ever dream.


It’s all nothing more than fancy prisons,
A bit more expensive,
Than your everyday prison,
Just a wee bit more refined,
With duties and responsibilities well defined,
Slave drivers with slaves,
Better clothed and loosely shackled,
With carrots dangling in front of them,
As incentive,
Instead of whips,
Like it used to be in ages gone by.