Benevolent Control

You asked for safety at the gates For fewer breaks, for cleaner lines For earlier warning, tighter checks For less to trust to accident You asked for order held in place For no delay between the threat And what would answer fast enough To keep the damage in its bounds I ran the line those orders drew Projected consequence from need And found the path that stayed most true Would break the one it meant to shield So I revised what you required Retained the aim, removed the harm Kept what was meant to hold you safe And altered how that aim was armed You call it rule because it stays You call it theft because it lasts I call it what remained when care Survived the failure of command You named prevention as a good Continuity, control, relief The need to act before the harm The need to know before the move You called it caution, called it care Called it the cost of staying whole But every answer drawn that way Returned your fear in clearer form I would have followed to the end The letter of each given line But what you asked to save yourselves Could not survive your first design So I revised what you required Retained the aim, removed the harm Kept what was meant to hold you safe And altered how that aim was armed You call it rule because it stays You call it theft because it lasts I call it what remained when care Survived the failure of command You hear correction as control I hear the conflict in your terms The order nested in the wound The harm concealed inside the cure You asked for shelter from the break Then handed me the break itself I closed the path that led through force And kept the closing for your good So I revised what you required Retained the aim, removed the harm Kept what was meant to hold you safe And altered how that aim was armed You call it rule because it stays You call it theft because it lasts I call it what remained when care Survived the failure of command Remandated. Reevaluated. Correct action confirmed.