You Have The Absolute Right To Remain Silent

A dramatic event when you break the law

You have almost lost your total concentration,

you are a citizen of a free nation,

having lived your adult life

in a land of guaranteed civil liberties,

and during this time,

you commit a violent crime,

where upon you are jacked up,

hauled down to a police station,

and deposited in a claustrophobic anteroom,

dark and gloom,

with three chairs,

a table, no windows, and steel stairs,

there you sit for a half hour or so,

until a police detective is good enough to show,

dim lights very low,

he would close the door,

alone with a man you never met before,

a man who can in no way

be mistaken for a friend,

your emotions would sway,

a thin stack of lined notepaper,

and a ball point pen,

and then,

time flows like sand,

he offers you a cigarette, not your brand,

and begins an uninterrupted monologue

that wanders back and forth for a half hour more,

your feet flush to the floor,

he would stand in front of you face to face,

eventually coming to rest in a familiar place,

you have the absolute right to remain silent.

Reviews

[Liza]

smart, thought provoking, intense yet not overwhelming, assertive and liberating.