The Terrorist Poem by David Lewis Paget

The Terrorist

Rating: 5.0


I lived in a block of service flats
Right next to a power grid,
The endless hum made my mind go numb
And infected all I did.
I couldn't sleep as the hum grew loud
At night, in the wind and rain,
Even the walls vibrated, and
They rattled the window-panes.

I pulled the pillow up over my head,
I tried sleeping upside down,
I rammed thick towels under the doors
Lay wide awake, and frowned.
I tried complaints to the Power Co.
Who laughed, and said, 'We'll see...
If anyone else complains, we might
Build a whole new facility! '

He grinned, and I took a poke at him
Right over the counter top,
They called the guard and he tossed me out,
And threatened to call a cop.
My life was falling apart by then
I staggered back to my pad,
I hadn't slept for a month or so,
I thought I was going mad!

I'd just got back to the balcony
When I stopped myself, mid-stride,
For out from the next door flat, a man
Peered out, then went inside,
He slammed the door in a hurry then
As soon as he saw me there,
I heard him whisper as I walked by
In Arabic - I declare!

A swarthy man with a big black beard,
Dressed in a chequered shirt,
There'd never been anyone living there,
I knew that for a cert,
I wondered if he was squatting there,
Remembered to lock my door,
I didn't want midnight visitors calling
Waiting for me to snore.

Late that night I heard his footsteps
Out on the balcony,
I peered on out through the blinds, and saw
He stood with his back to me,
But in his hands was a strange device,
With wires and a dial, I swear,
A bomb, I thought, and began to tremble
'What if he puts it there? '

The grid was next to the balcony
Supplied this side of town,
The power to the local Army Base
Would go, if the grid went down,
As in a flash, I realised
The man was a terrorist,
'You never can trust a man with a beard'
I'd read in the yellow press.

For days I saw him come and go,
My eyes hung out of my head,
I wasn't thinking too straight, or I
Would have phoned the police, instead.
But I thought I could catch him unawares,
And maybe, get a reward,
I'd be in the papers - 'There's the Man -
Put a Terrorist to the Sword! '

I crept about, disguised myself,
Peered in through his window there,
Three men were sat at the table,
They were all dark skinned, not fair,
They each had a big black bushy beard
And the table was covered in tools,
Some copper wire and a big black box -
'They think that we're bloody fools! '

'They think that we're bloody fools, ' I said,
As I turned to walk away,
I hid at the end of the balcony
'Til the sun went down that day,
They came on out, just after dark,
Leant over and touched the grid,
Fitted some wire and a big black box
Then went somewhere, and hid.

I waited 'til all was quiet there,
Then ripped off their copper wires,
Picked up their big black box and smashed it,
Down on the concrete tiles,
It was then that I heard an alarm go off
And lights were flashing blue,
An army of cops said - 'Down on your knees!
That's right; we're talking to you! '

They drove me down to the station then,
And took my fingerprints,
They wouldn't tell me the charges, just
Stood round me, dropping hints,
'You're going down for a long, long time,
We've had you on our list,
You're a trouble-maker, born and bred,
A typical terrorist! '

I caught a glimpse of myself just then
In a mirror on the wall,
I hadn't shaved for a month or so,
So bearded, gaunt and tall,
I wore my dirty chequered shirt,
I think that did me down,
They thought that I was the culprit
Not the saviour of the town!

The three guys were technicians, so
They said, when they'd simmered down,
Indian Techs who worked for them,
The Power Co. in town,
They'd had a complaint about the grid
And had come to check the hum,
They'd brought some special meter box -
I felt myself go numb!

I copped six hundred hours in court,
And a fifteen thousand fine,
That box was worth a million quid
They told me at the time,
I wear a beard and sunnies now
So nobody sees my face,
I live in a new apartment and
I've given up complaints!

15 January 2009

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Jayatissa K. Liyanage 20 January 2015

Fun story very well written incorporating tense and curiosity. Usually I do not red long poems. Yet, I couldn't stop reading this, for it's curiosity. Thanks for sharing.

0 0 Reply
Ann Beard 14 January 2009

What a great tale so funny and excellently written I loved it. Regards Ann

0 0 Reply
Jim Norausky 14 January 2009

David, Very enjoyable read. Thank you. Jim

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David Lewis Paget

David Lewis Paget

Nottingham, England/live in Australia
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