No Police Station Poem by Gert Strydom

At a time
I lived in a suburb
that lies
on the east of Pretoria
and they wanted to turn
a huge double storey house
into a police station
and the people
in the suburb were angry
as it would become a thoroughfare
for undesirable people
where people do
just what they want.

Who wants to sacrifice peace
for sirens
that wail
in the early hours of the day
and law enforcers
laying on your neck
that knows less about law and order
than the man in the street?

Nobody wanted the nest
where they breed out
near to that suburb
and the house prices to plunge
and a petition was drawn up
to leave that house
unclaimed
and it’s still empty
with out any occupants.