Gaze at the sea

Gaze at the sea

You showed me the photos of those murals

And I can still feel the greyness

Still feel the sadness

Wellington had a bakery

The nightshift officers

Would have a series of unlocks

Of prisoners to go to the bakery

That is the state

That is what these places are intended to do

And it’s just this oppressive feel

What’s your full name?

Fuck yeah, it’s so hardcore

During the summer

It is just a hothouse

Cinder blocks on the side

Without windows

Now the story behind that

I’d be sacked today

There was a young guy

Their youngest guy

And he was the most mouthy

Memory

I have thought of you often

I doubt you ever knew

Manslaughter conviction

1978

Ah, that was like a whole bloody rainbow

In the middle of the fuckin’ jail

You know

Like I say

Only see grey walls

Also, I don’t know if you know

About the special wing over here

Where all the segregated prisoners were

So this is where the paedophiles were

As a law-abiding country

Here’s a thought to give us pause

How best to be humane

As we execute the laws?