Asylum

rooms, suites of rooms, buildings, plants

in line. Their encompassing or total character

intercourse with the outside and to departure


such as locked doors, high walls, barbed wire, cliffs, water, forests, moors

conflicts, discreditings, failures

of assimilation. If cultural change


the outside. Thus, if the inmates stay

victory. They create and sustain


a particular kind of tension

dangers to it, with the welfare

jails, penitentiaries, P.O.W. camps, concentration camps

some worklike task and justifying themselves

army barracks, ships, boarding schools, work camps, colonial compounds, large mansions

abbeys, monasteries, convents


starting point. By anchoring


them; what is distinctive

attributes. In speaking of


outside world. Each grouping

bitter, secretive, untrustworthy


condescending, high handed, and mean

superior and righteous

inferior, weak, blameworthy and guilty


Even talk across the boundaries
may be conducted in a special tone of voice

swamped. On ward 30

unless Dr. Baker

himself asked for them

persevering, nagging, delusional group—

“worry warts” “nuisances” “bird dogs”

in the attendant's slang


passage of information, especially information


excluded from knowledge of the decisions taken regarding his fate

a special basis of distance and control over inmates

restrictions of contact presumably

worlds develop jogging alongside

bounds. But to say

work, then, this

outside. There

it. This is


ceremonial, payments, such

required, induced not by reward

can buy; all needs

staff; here

They say. Is it

us? For by

hour; paid to work, paid

sleep: always those halfpence

up. Impossible, therefore to dignify a job

it well. It must

waiting, but another job

self respect. (Staff members,

the family. Family life

living, but in fact


existence. Conversely,

culture” (to modify


of being “in” or “on the inside” does not exist apart

home world. Upon entrance

abasements, degradation, humiliations and profanations

is mortified

of self. In civil life

taboo. Although

home. The role

such. It may not be

up, at a

cycle, the time

advancement, in

“civil death”

world. The process

well. We


life history, photographing, weighing, fingerprinting, assigning
numbers, searching, listing personal possessions for storage,
undressing, bathing, disinfecting, haircutting

nakedness. Leaving off

on, with


clothing, combs, towels, soap, shaving sets, bathing facilities

disfigurement, beatings, shock therapy, surgery

dispossession

integrity. At admission

way. Given

movements, postures, and stances

demeaning. Any

regulation, command or task

that forces

pose, so he may

“sir.” Another

beg, importune, humbly ask

a daily round of life

his body, his immediate actions, his thoughts

clear of contact

violated; the boundary

relationships. (Similarly,

hold oneself off

every gesture and nuance of error

forms, for these

over: forcing upon

men of his own type and badge

its effect, with

a disruption

his arts

attacks. The individual

situation; he

society, when

of self, he is


sullenness, failure to offer usual signs of deference, sotto
voce profaning aides, fugitive expressions of contempt, irony

derision. Compliance

activity, citing

society, audience

avowals and implicit claims

thrown up

well-oriented, antagonistic

process, since

doctrine. A “permissive”

situation is collapsed

itself, and he

action. A second assault

of regulation and tyrannization

judged. Beyond this

pace. He need not

fit into

regulations and judgements

by staff; the inmate's

above, especially

unthinkingly

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

shirts on

pants at

shoes at

any noise, like

attention, hands

thumbs even

face or head

enforced. No

official, visitor, guard

beyond sight

still and hidden


smoking, shaving, going to the toilet, telephoning,
spending money, mailing letters

submissive or suppliant


teased, denied, questioned at length, not noticed

put off

able yet lacking

unsupplied. Even

indefinitely, while

dress, deportment, manners

the press of


enveloping tissue of constraint

school, but

certain rights

sanction. (This arrangement,

outside, the audit

work, or

diffuse, novel, and strictly enforced

ones, to live

the consequence of breaking

disrupt or defile

over his world—that he is a person

a soft bed

quietness at night

“pretty please”

jump up for it

his will. Less ceremonialized

superfluous. And instead


restrictions by renunciation, beating by self-flagellation, inquisition by confession

to talk; on the outside

such rights

the building of a world

culture, and yet

sharing; it almost


cigarettes, candy, newspapers

animals and children

components, put together

power. This power


ridicule, viscious ribbing, corporal punishment

“messing up.” Messing up

escape), getting caught


Fights, drunkenness, attempted suicide, failure at
examinations, gambling, insubordination, homosexuality,
improper leave taking, participation in collective riots

cussedness, villany, or “sickness”

a vocabulary

“the angles”

“ins”

as by

objects, then

decent human beings

pervades


slogan shouting, booing, tray thumping, mass food rejection

mutinies; but these

plateaus of disinvolvement

broken (as they


disciplined, moralistic, monochromatic

sponsor an ideal

it cool.” This

cramped, arduous

engendered. The low

process, creates

a story, a line, a sad tale

means of accounting

conversation and concern

tactful, suppressing

misdeeds, and the refusal

on, and

wasted or destroyed or taken


“done” or “marked” or “put in” or “pulled”

hard. This time

sense

dead and heavy hanging


field game, dances, orchestra and band playing, choral singing
lectures, art classes or woodworking classes, card playing

industrial alcohol, nutmeg or ginger

of dead sea in

vivid, encapturing

outside. This

sharp smell of fresh air

pass


the loss or failure

circles from which











Used by permission of the author.
Translation: 
Language: 
Rate this poem: 

Reviews

No reviews yet.