Panoptican
by Ruth Ainsworth
I sit, watched,
Can I work faster, harder?
Until my every moment,
Every thought,
Every breath
Is this work.
Over and over;
The same sameness.
I walk, watched,
Not for too long,
Though my knees pop
When I stand
And my limbs scream;
Aching, cramped.
A too short walk,
And vertigo.
I sleep, watched,
Claustrophobic,
Even in dreams, watched,
Crisp, cool autumn air,
I can smell, taste,
Fresh and clean,
But when I breathe
Hot, heavy, stinking.
Released, crushed.