Electric fence

The electric fence cackles at random intervals
Word of warning for those who ply their trade
When the earth has rotated
And the sun warms other worlds
The comfort of the fence's watchful eyes
Lulls the sleepers into a false sense of security
Believing that the tragedy of poverty lies beyond their walls
They are ostracised from the world for as long as it takes a creative mind to chip away at the edges of their illusion

The electric fence hums in tune to the beats slipping out of the nightclub across the street
Illuminated by the lights creeping through the curtains of the flats across the street
And the lights dotted at 10 metre intervals around the complex of row after row of houses
The cats dance through the gardens
Dodging the dogs barking in rhythm
And the night owls jump at every sound
Knowing that the electric fence is not the last line of defense
And, in the face of determination and hunger, the electric fence will not stand before all who stand at its base

This I know to be true
As true as he who woke me gently from my sleep early one morning
Thinking of christmas shopping and holiday celebration

And there are more where he came from