Society’s lash
cuts deep
for those who bear the scars
of doing time
at Her Majesty’s pleasure.
.
No chance these days
to change the spelling or pronunciation
of a surname as was the want
of many ancestor convicts
to separate themselves
from the rigors of their past
when freedom finally came
after years of servitude
in this distant land…
.
Our young man has responsibilities
must find work…
he shops at Vinnies
covers tattoos with long sleeves
regardless of temperature
prepares a resumé
highlighting his skills
and fronts up to interviews.
.
‘Why have you been out of work
for so long?’ he is asked.
.
He tells the truth and hears
‘We don’t employ criminals’
or the softer version
‘I can’t risk having you on staff’.
.
In desperation
he skirts around probing about
his absence from society
and even fudges his answers…
but fools nobody
least of all himself.
.
Long periods of unemployment
lead to gaping holes in his work history
which bring more aggressive questions.
.
He is willing to work
~ wants to work ~
yet nobody will employ him and
he continues to carry
the burden of his misdeeds.
.
Is this freedom
or merely release to a world
riddled with judgement
and inherent restrictions?
.
- c. Kathryn Coughran
- 24th January 2019