Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
The Evil of Banality Arrests You in the Street
As Hannah Arendt did not exactly say
Handcuffs with their metallic
efficiency
Leather-holstered on polished
kinky-belts
Distinguish more a grab with their
subtle cachet
Than low-Prole zip ties in disposable
bags
The wrists of citizens handcuffed
without warrants
By an official wrist encircled
with
The gift of a Rolex from Mister
Big
Who will never countenance
the arrest of his sons
Handcuffs should click as tastefully,
you see
As the door of an unmarked
SUV
