At the time this was written, the Poet was newly participating in actions with Delco Pledge of Resistance (see internet citations) , because he truly believed in their message not just because his girlfriend, later to be his wife, believed in this.
Upland Peace Camp #2
The Policeman over there
is pissed
working, on an
Autumn College Foot ball Sat ur day Sub ur ban Af ter noon
arrest these Pled gers
living on the ed gers
take strong mea sures
eight games on to day,
if you have cable,
and he’s stan ding in the rain
caffinated to the gills
time and a 1/2
doesn’t solve
every thing
The Policeman over there
doesn’t care didly squat about the war
in some land
where they don’t have the respect to speak Eng lish
the technology to have
shop ping malls
the tough guys
for saturday foot ball af ter noons
the women
to have decent go go
bars
as to who is right or wrong
or who sings the final song
in a coun try as queer as that
why should he worry
it’s not like Cam den
is invading Philadelphia
The Policeman over there
took photos of the protestors
though he thought
he should own some feelings
about his stealing an image
of a pri vate life
he knows he would be a camera breakin’ man
if some fool took pictures of him
and his old lady
at the Acame-
but the boy does need more den tal work
so he’ll do a
crime and a half
for
time and a half
The Policeman over there
is not to be called any farm animal name,
lessons from the Six ties 101,
he’s just another man, doing another job
just like killing
is just another job
that another set of people
are just
doing
even then,
it’s not like one’s job
is meant as a personal statement
a job is a job is a job
and there’s al ways gonna be some war to have a pro test on
these days, it seems,
why do they think
this war is any dif fe rent
why aren’t they home
on a rainy af ter noon
The Policeman over there
curses the protestors, the rain, and weak coffee,
wishes he was some where
with a real crime
where guns might
mat ter
Bob Small-9/25/88-from 9/16/88
robertthesmall 