Tudor Rickards’ Justified Assault (Tara) by GM Jon

Did you see what happened? It wasn’t much. Just justified action from an old man’s crutch. He had come to support his leader’s views When a jeering intruder hurled words of abuse. Fearing she carried a hidden weapon He felt a force within him beckon And urged on by the surging crowd He cried his growing fears out loud. “Catch hold of her and hold her tight No matter how she screams and bites She’s a disgrace to our dear nation That gave her a college education … “I fought to keep our country free She’s a threat to our democracy. Her treacherous words, slogans and chants Crawl in my mind like poisonous ants.” As the noise and confusion grows The leader on his podium shows His pleasure as mounting fury appeared. “Boo hoo” he cried, as the faithful jeered. That leader from his floodlit stage encouraged his pensioner brigade. The old man shaking with righteous anger Wished he still had the strength to strangle her. To stop her verminous attack Grappled intending to give her a smack Then stepping forward at a lick He lunged at her with his walking stick. Helpless in the milling crowd Terrified she cried aloud. Her hair was pulled, in angry grips And fingers forced between her lips. Time stood still… How could she know Suffering the pain from an old man’s blow That mirrored in another town Masked men with cudgels rained blows down? How could she know they cannot share The deepest human need to care? Deaf to a young girl’s desperate cries, Blind to the fear behind her eyes?