authority
has called us out

as nuisances
pranksters
and deviants

since birth

to be monitored
by surveillance

for the ongoing
safe operation of system

maximizing efficiency

that finds and discourages

nuisances
pranksters
and deviants

defined only
by criminal records

in households
where teenage angst

congregates around retro turntables.

'keep it quiet' first published September 26^th, 2023 Sparks of Calliope edited Randal Burd Jr. Two Poems by Geoffrey Aitken – Sparks of Calliope