in praise of liberty

liberty offers you
a ride in the wild wind
a soft view through rose tinted glasses
in the fields where
no zebra crossings blacken your path

it offers you the right of passage
to wreck your life
or make another's life pristine
with beautiful gifts and little summer meals
whilst playing the saxophone
and dreaming of a winter holiday

liberty is not a magic wand
but makes magic out of a harlot's den
freeing you from the slavery
of butchery, fornication and repressed desires
offering you a grand avenue
where you can walk in peace, sing in the dark,
get yourselves wet in the middle of the night
yet dry up feeling
it's the beginning of a day in heaven

liberty is not a golden spoon
nor is it a golden calf which the world worships as god
it is a pure gift to a pure people
but without the silver wrapping and the red ribbob
it is the right to desist
it is the right to insist
on your right of passage
on the elevation of your status
from runaway slave
to upgraded rugby player
from a downtrodden dog
to an upgraded human
living in simple quarters
yet insisting on
the right to speak at the appointed time
in a casino of twinkling lights
especially when the deck of cards
are turned upside down
and poker becomes
a hooker's purse
promising a day in Alcatraz
and an iron curtain in your cell
at midnight,
without a friend or a book
or a meal of hainanese chicken rice ...