looking over the shoulder

who shames the least of the wandering folk
becomes like them the traveller who fails
who knows the insides of prisons and gaols
knows that the policeman never tells a joke
all that you earned has now gone up in smoke
all that's survived are just some tiles and nails
what happened well let's not deal with details
on your pride you now must dine and choke
beyond the bay beyond the last green hill
there's nothing left but city wall and farm
the space of freedom's been reduced to none
each of us was charged the full day's bill
and still we knew that we could come to harm
under the clear sky and the yellow sun