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Description
i.

his voice lives on against his will
in harlem.  it's still
drawing itself naked, breathing
like a wound without a
bandage.  wake up, sir, it
shouts in a public space, like
bullets from a magazine.

(wake up)

ii.

he always said,
school is where you learn
obedience.

obey deadlines
obey rules
obey professors,
regardless of who's right
and who's a detriment.

society's a liar.

iii.

now,

giant feet beat
earthquakes from the
ground.  he hates the
sound:  so collective;
uniform.  a rhythm
he would interrupt

if he could bring himself to break it.

iv.

years later:

nine to five to pay the bills,
kids with iron wills who
fear him.

"listen to your father
listen to your teachers
keep close, keep closed."

his wife stays at home.

v.

he takes the long way home from work
because he doesn't want to know
that it's still there.

it was the saying he got caught for,
the only one they got him for.

and it screams
it screams
it screams.

WAKE UP, SIR.