DUST

seasonal winds blow it over the gobi desert
the contaminated smog of beijing clings to it
gathering momentum across the yellow sea
it descends on the peninsular
like a choking glove
obscuring the mountains
veiling the cautious spring sun
dusting the innocently unfurling magnolia petals
covering everything in a thin layer of sand
outside in the street
the riot police are out in force
bussed into the city centre
in disproportionate numbers
skinny young men in navy uniforms
caps pulled down over crewcuts
trainers on their feet where boots should be
betraying something curiously amateurish about them
shields lined up
voices raised in unison
they go through their drill
buses with grilled windows
line the wide boulevard down to kwanghwamun
as far as the eye can see
this is the state response to citizen protests in sk
how it dispenses its democracy
more often than not these days
it is the korea-us 'free trade' agreement
as in 'no such thing as a free lunch'
and 'freedom is not free'
think of the opposite meaning of the official wording
and you will usually find its true sense
now that the endless multilateral talks have foundered
the us seems to have adopted a 'divide and conquer' policy
designed to bully smaller nations like korea
into signing dubious bilateral pacts...
a regiment sprints past in the opposite direction
grunting loudly
frightening families with small children
out for a sunday stroll in the veiled sunshine
are they just practising for the real thing?
suddenly a big group of anti-fta protesters jogs down the street
trying to get through to kwanghwamun
they are intercepted by a blockade of buses
zig-zagging bumper to bumper across the street
a thick helmeted blue line pushes back the protesters
fly-kicks and punches and bottles are thrown
the two sides incite each other
baying for blood
my heart is with the protesters
but i sympathise for the conscripts
this is the real thing alright
urban warfare right outside my window
a ring of buses now encircles kwanghwamun
cutting off the demonstrators from the spiritual centre of seoul
traffic is going nowhere
people wander out into the street to see what's up
a curious hospital patient attached to a drip tows his stand behind him
meanwhile quietly surveying the scene
the hammering man doesn't bad an eyelid
as he creaks through his perpetual motions