THE VISION OF THE MARTYR FRED · AS EXPURGATED FOR THE
CENTRALIANS
Harriers know the right-sounding words
Chapter 15
They have already had their way with you,
2Whether you recognize it or not,
3And how could you,
4Being the children of Harriers?
5They pat you on the head and tell you how precocious you are,
6aBecause you’re incredibly sophisticated about sex,
7bAnd because you started listening to rock and roll when you were a toddler,
8cAnd because you absorb tons and tons of information from all the television you watch,
9dAnd because you have grown up knowing the dark secret of nuclear weapons technology,
10eAnd because you were exposed to the temptation of drugs when you could still report your age with a single digit,
11fAnd because, if anybody asks, you can spout all the right sounding words about equality and ecology and the rights of minorities and the underprivileged,
12And so you must really be pretty up on everything,
13Everything important, that is,
14Like all good Harriers everywhere.
15But they have had their way with you,
16And they have locked you in a box,
17And thrown away the key.
✦ · · ✦ · · ✦
Chapter 15 / 29