The Spectacle's Red Light

A witness poem by Josef Hammer. A red diode on the landing, a Section 21 folded on the hall radiator, and rage billed back to the tenant.

Red diode stains the landing.We hold our faces to it.We forget the taste of real snowon the rusted factory gate by the bins.They bill us for rage.We drink it, miss the ledger on paper—Section 21 folded on the hall radiator.Our hours sit in the rent card squares.We perform to the lens under the CCTV dome.The boiler shows LOCKOUT. Code steady.We check the inspection tag on the door.Date lapsed. Meter credit: £0.00.The lock's teeth count.The deadbolt seats.

Filed 29 October 2025 · Josef Hammer