A Literary Journal of Critical Thinking
In the Samizdat Tradition of Writing against the Machine
A Forum for Examining the Dark Side of the Academic/Literary Industrial Complex

Dahn Shaulis (Las Vegas, NV—Illustrations by Axie)
Between Death Row and Pri$neyland, edited by ContraOstrich Press, is 46 pp long with color and b&w illustrations. 

Prison caseworker working with second-rate sociopaths (the first rate ones run governments and businesses), and a noisy cog in the system. Every time I think I know the truth, I am reminded of my ignorance. The texts of American reality are Machiavelli's Prince, Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Edward L. Bernays' Propaganda. But we common folk are fed the Bible, Declaration of Independence and US Constitution as if they are documents our leaders follow. The "culture of corruption" is something we just open our eyes to periodically.
 

Lockdown

on the way home from work
listening, to the radio news
an announcement
of four area schools on lockdown
no explanation why

“at risk schools,” some call them

kids already knowing lockdown
kids beaten down
a few mad-dogging out of fear
in anticipation of the next steps

i may know their kin

the next news, details
a white collar trial, a rich man smiling
with confidence
in anticipation of the next steps

then, news of killings, and a body count,
in the middle east, one american, thirty others

cops, judges, prison guards, soldiers, generals,
politicians
knowing of the next steps, of justice, and the “rule of law”
laughing as they say
“job security”
in jest, of course

few others, connecting the dots