War of Presence

Now they bring The Vessel where the bodies have to stand One side with its banners, one side with its hands Steel between the tempers, high-vis on the street Vans along the kerb line, helmets in the heat Every face is certain, every chant is proof Every step says something no appeal can now remove Someone calls it courage, someone calls it stain Someone came to show they will not yield the ground again Hold here Not there Keep the anger in the air No touch No breach Keep them just beyond each reach War of Presence Bodies in the claim Lines to stop the contact Lines to feed the flame One move costs your freedom One push and something tears First they fought The Vessel Now they bring it out in public air Routes agreed and broken, barriers re-drawn Someone tests the cordon just to prove the line is wrong Stewards with their armbands, police with measured eyes Trying to keep a living spark from finding where it flies You can feel the overcharge in slogans, boots, and throats How much weight The Vessel bears in flags and signs and coats Is this where you meant it? Is this what words became? A hill built out of handling, and everyone aflame Stand off Hold fast Let the warnings travel past No peace Not quite Just enough control tonight War of Presence Bodies in the claim Lines to stop the contact Lines to feed the flame One move costs your freedom One push and something tears First they fought The Vessel Now they bring it out in public air Not dead Not yet But everyone can feel the set The van doors The charge The next small step grown suddenly large So many hands to stop the slide So much force to keep apart You learn how near the edge can sit Without admitting where you are War of Presence Bodies in the claim Lines to stop the contact Lines to feed the flame One move costs your freedom One push and something tears First they fought The Vessel Now they bring it out in public air Hold here Not there Keep it breathing in the air Not peace Not war Just the line and what it’s for