Just walking through a city centre
Dull day but dry
Pleasant enough
The place, too
Nice new buildings
Clean and tidy
Spaced out
Old buildings still standing
Here and there
Like old friends
Memories
Just walking through the city centre
A little further
Into the dark streets
Turn a corner
Here I am
Here they are
These people
They are different
The people in the spaced out places
Were just passing through
Not part of it
Visiting
These other people
Here
In the dark streets
They belong here
Live here
I can smell them
Weedy and unwashed
I can see them
Looking at me
They can see me
Looking away
I can feel their
Evaluation
I am become an opportunity
Just walking through the city centre
Their eyes are heavy on me
And I wonder
What they might do
If the opportunity came their way
Tension stiffens me
Awkwardly
Walking through the city centre
And I wonder
What I would do
If they took that opportunity
Would I roll over
Give in
Hand over
Whatever they want
Whatever I have
Would I run
Through them
Away from them
Into some other opportunity
Or would I fight back
And suddenly I realise
That is the most frightening option
Fighting back
Not because of the risk
Not because I might get hurt
Because I know what happens
When I’m scared
I become uncivilised
Inhuman
Some other thing
Raw and hard
And terrified
I know that I don’t know
What I might do
If they came to me
Walking through the city centre
Writing Me Up 
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