In the middle of the night they came,
posing as protectors,
with unmarked uniform and face hidden,
they told us to surrender.
Hand over your weapons!
- But what are we to do? -
Weapons are for enemies
and we thought they were friends.
Now we are re-branded,
the cleansing begins,
and they put Cain against Abel
turn friend against friend.
The bully once more
is outside the school gate
and the strong boys inside
consider old boy debates.
© niall oconnorNiall OConnor is an internationally published poet and blogger, a Pushcart Prize nominee 2013, and reads regularly at the Writer's Centre and other popular Dublin venues. He was longlisted in the Desmond O’Grady Competition 2013. His Debut Poetry Collection, Change in the Wind which was released in 2013 to much critical acclaim. Niall blogs at the very popular dublinepost.blogspot.ie .