Harry Threatens To Kill Me
In The Law Library
Mike Harry was inmate number 3861977
a double amputee from the infirmary unit.
He was wheeled into the jail law library
Deputy Venus Spivey pushing his chair.
Harry’s upper body looked like he pumped iron.
Little Venus had got herself a boob job.
Both were short in the leg department.
I checked in at about 5 feet 9 inches
with a long, tall research obsession.
Spivey pushed Harry at me and winked
announced that 9 more inmates
were on their way and bounced herself out.
Harry chose to be the strong silent type.
So there I sat as a civilian, good citizen
and law librarian with time to chug
a tall double French Roast coffee.
The transport crew showed up in 5 minutes
9 bodies rushing thru the steel door.
I was swarmed before the deps locked us in.
I was deep into squaring up my mob of clients
in their eternal search for databases
and legal forms to freedom when Harry
wheeled up to me and screamed
“Headache. Puke. I’m going to kill you.”
I told Harry to shut the fuck up because
I don’t give a shit. He then began openly
weeping and moaning. I screamed at him
told him that I had his ticket out of here
told him I could help him with
circumstantial evidence and chain of custody
admissibility, tampering, contamination
told him he could beat whatever case
he was looking at. He could walk.
Harry repeated his threat and I gave him
the same answer. Then he began running
his wheelchair and his head into
the steel book shelving and opened up
a bleeding gushing gash.
His face was soon a red mask.
Someone grabbed his wheelchair.
held him back, put on the brakes.
All the inmates freaked
demanded that I call a dep.
So I did but I wanted to keep working.
Harry was transported back
to the infirmary unit by Deputy Spivey
without incident and she agreed
to meet me at the Bulldog Bar
at quitting time for drinks.
Mark James Andrews is a Metro Detroit poet. His work has been widely published in the small press and across the web. He is the author of five chapbooks. At theIce Cow Queen on Mack (Alien Buddha Press) is the latest. He has worked as a jail law librarian for 10 years and at public and university libraries for more.
