CCTV Smile

Suddenly they all went crazy

or sane,

depending on whose pamphlets you believe

and whether

you stood by their side or stepped aside

as lengths

of pipe dealt out a legacy of privacy

redeemed

 

Alarms snarled throughout the curfew

but balaclavas

and grim determination carried them into

the streets

and desolate subways, obscured by shadows,

towards destruction

of passive tolerance for constant, invasive

observation

 

They shattered control like nightmares

colliding;

sweaty fragments that fade like echoes

of tinkling

glass and ragged electric stutters,

as a system

of intrusion was taught a lethal

lesson

 

Come morning, the council house was swarmed

with crowds,

anxious about citizen protection;

newly blinded

leaders, bemused by this apathy to freedom erosion,

promised

them double the number of cameras,

mounted

with preventative machine guns

 

Author's Note

Please take a look at the book:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/where-nothing-is-sacred-volume-i/1637740]


There are about 25 million CCTV cameras worldwide...4 million of these are in Britain.
Let me know what you think of this poem. Thanks.

Reviews

[Gandré]

Well, this is true. We are humans made of glass, everything is visible. And yes, so true, people don't have the complete information in context and make judgements. prejudice is horrible. My favorite part of your poem was
Suddenly they all went crazy

or sane,

depending on whose pamphlets you believe

and whether

you stood by their side or stepped aside -------this is just perfect. Very much enjoyed this poem.

[Emily B]

I'm so proud of you. A book!!!!! It's a big thing. I can't wait til you hold it in your two little hands. It's an exciting day. :)

Looking forward to the day when I can add you to my shelf of favorite poets.

[Solst Rapture]

What do I think about it? You convey significant issues in exciting but serious ways. The work is beyond you, it is representing us all. It's just such a damn shame we - the people who agree - crowd into electronic worlds and can never really feel the potential of change. That's probably just me, but it's there.

I admire you. You are relentless, you are skilled, your are sensitive, you are right about many things, you are determined, you are composed, you are convicted. I waver too much and it settles me to read your words. You have worked hard and I hope this is published. Good luck.

[A.T.B.]

A well writ Orwellian poem. It's too late to kiss the welfare of our free society goodbye; It's already gone. CCTVs are only one way of stripping citizens of their right to privacy. We are violated in so many ways nowadays � through the internet, the media, education, political agendas ...
Your poem is a militant poem and I enjoyed reading it not just for the message it conveys, but for its poetic merits as well. We need more militancy to stop this madness.

[Nik'aule]

1984 come to life. I wasn't aware of this happenning in Britain. We have so much surveillance here in the US too - on those signs that mark the next exit on the highway for one. This piece is brilliant, insightful, and flows well. Thank you for sharing.

[Damien Dsoul]

Your poem paints a horrid picture of the future, if you don't mind my saying so. It's almost like something gotten off that vombie movie "28 Days Later." The sudden pandemonium is so vividly protrayed, the imagery scary and frightening. Best if I return to the bottle I was drinking before I decide to read this one more time again.

[Emily B]

Disturbing thoughts this morning. I'm not sure that cameras = security in the vast scheme of things.

[Anthony Morningstar]

Henry Rollins said once that we don't have rights anymore we have privalges and your an idiot to assume that we still have rights. At least your leader can talk about stuff without laughing about it.

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

This is something like Bush saying it was/is ok to listen in on calls made to the middle east.. to slack off terrorism.. but it is invasion of privacy!

I like your poem.. very well told..i think the cameras can be helpful but they are also something like invasion of privacy..

Nice writing ..

Chloe
xoxo