Another hospital poem, written at the five-month mark. I was missing my freedom.
Have I the right?
Has anyone the right?
At the moment, though, I'm more concerned with me personally.
Have I the right?
The right to absent myself from society…
The right to hate the world for a while.
To hate the world and everyone and everything in it
And not cooperate with life in general
Just for a while.
For, say, one day a week, a month, or a year;
Just once in a while.
For no particular reason…
Perhaps a lot of things might add up
To make me mad at everything,
Or perhaps something major, something very important to the
development of my personality, to my very life.
At such a time do I have the right?
Do I?
• Written 29 December 1970. Copyright © 1999-2010 Alien Son. All rights reserved.