#125 Kevin Brophy 'They did it'

#125 ‘They did it’

They break into whatever is locked.

They break the locks and make a mess

as best they can, you know, paint, food,

it doesn’t matter. Whatever they find.

Who are they? Everyone does it

at some time. It’s everyone, I guess.

The shop, the school, the art centre,

the teachers’ houses, rangers, nurses.

Those three girls there, the six year olds,

they’ve done it. I’ve done it.

Sometimes we tire of it

before we’ve even broken the lock and got in.

Trouble? Yes, we all get into trouble,

who doesn’t. People are upset with us.

With them. With the ones who did it.

We all know who did it when it happens

and we shake our poor heads and bring

the law to them, what law we have,

what law they will listen to, whatever law

has a shadow lying beneath it,

a nest of sharp toothed dark mouthed bats.