Selvagem

The police present their weapons
Transparent shields, batons
Shiny helmets
And the determination to keep everything
In its place

The government presents its weapons
Reticent speech, inconsistent novelty
And freedom falls to the ground
At the feet of a Godard film

The city presents its weapons
Boys at the traffic lights, beggars in the corners
And the surprise is in the eyes of those who see
The great monster being created

The blacks present their weapons
Marked backs, calloused hands
And the cleverness that only those who are
Tired of being beaten have