Swollen and bruised,

They cower in anguish,

Uncomprehending.

Afraid to look conspicuous,

Wrong height, wrong color,

Hesitate to comply.

Brute force silences,

Those who dare ask why.

 

Pushed to the pavement,

Held against cars,

Praying to live,

Beaten, intimidated,

Arrested and killed.

 

Practicing mass control,

They target citizens,

One by one,

Building confidence,

Where there should be none.

 

The curtain is pulled back.

The tipping point is reached.

One by one, they become many,

Standing as a pack,

Taking back the power,

toppling the ivory tower,

Cruel field masters impeached.

 

Awareness is key,

for prisoners must see the cage,

in order to break free.