Quiet!

I picked up my home phone

and talked to the dialling tone,

the execution of the landline

was imminent, he told me

a select set of people

wanted him dead, 

he spoke about the war 

on conversation explaining

that every telephone box

was being murdered 

and all their internal instruments

we’re being removed,

it was happening in the early hours

so no one would notice,

it was a culling of sorts,

he went on to tell me about the dissidents,

small groups of people secretly 

gathering after dark to exercise 

their right to free speech,

overreaching government policy 

on 'words spoken' had become 

an arrestable offence,

from now on all future communication 

must be made through email 

and text message,

the state believe's it’s in the vested interest

of the nation to cut out all citizens tongues

followed by their voice boxes,

those who choose to use sign language

will have all their fingers sliced off,

halfway through the conversation

the landline went dead,

it was a precise execution 

slick, stylish and silent,

they’re coming for your words

they’re coming for your speech

they’re coming for your voice

they’re coming for your choice

and they expect you to stay 

QUIET!