Boiled Potatoes

In the quadrangle
Tannoys reverberate
like Paddington Station
the overseer belts out restrictions
curb this, inhibit that

The indoctrinees mill and sheep
mutter their mantras, spurt out
phrases, bites of words to score
approval, like old East Germany 
before the fall

I'm tired, can't waste my time ‐
can't get used to being on my own.