Frank Prem

Franks Psychiatry 4 #42: Act-ed up

you get sentenced
to thirty days
maybe forty

 

the Act can do that to you

 

one day
you\'re walking the streets
minding your business
listening to your voices
running amok a bit in a quiet way maybe
or just sitting alone in your room
for a few weeks
a month

 

doing no harm

 

next thing
someone makes a Request
and some Doctor you\'ve never seen before
seconds the motion with a Recommendation

 

[SNAP] you\'ve been Section 9\'d

 

the Police cart you off to the Inpatient Unit
in the back of a Divvy Van

 

[SNAP] you\'ve been Section 10\'d

 

some Psychiatrist confirms Involuntary Status and

 

[SNAP] you\'ve been Section 12\'d

 

to get force-fed pills
injections
not allowed to leave
hardly to breathe or scream
until a Doctor says it\'s okay
okay

 

OKAY

 

IT\'S NOT OKAY

 

NOTHING
is
okay

 

~

 

there\'s a guy here
only twenty-two
he\'s already done a hundred days
and he\'ll do a hundred more
god help him

 

that\'s your Act for you
your bastard Mental Health Act
of 1986

 

ah
you\'re all nothing but a pack

of pricks

 

~