Persuasions

Persuasions of shattered glass,
fifty rounds bringing carnage,
injury, terror, bereavement.
What can preserve the State?
Citizen A calls an ambulance,
rips his shirt up for bandages,
risks his neck to protect others.

Persuasions of word and image,
graphics of ridicule, of subversion.
Who should enforce their silence?
Citizen B’s undeceived, seeing
the hypocrite-bigot untrousered,
the judge in the brothel, the Faith-
Founder, hand on the trigger.

Of the two modes of persuasion
which gives the greater offence?
which does the greater good?
The response of the dead is muted
but citizens in their millions
packing streets shoulder to shoulder
in freedom’s name give their answer.