steam of should and ought
the boiler groans loud
a hiss of protected space
collective demand
the gauge falls to safe
a iron bolt slides,
releases
one breath of freedom

morality's heat
the valve of a right whispers
a concession,
forged in blood
"thou shalt not cross here"
cooling the hot pipe
the system strains tight
not a noble gift

a tool won from the furnace
to prevent the burst
they gave up a seat
not from grace,
but from the fear
of the coming blast
the scream of the kettle
meets the sigh of the release

top down,
the steam pours
bottom up,
the resistance
forces a small crack
this right is no gift
it is the calculated price
the court's endless war
is the grinding of the metal
on that vital valve
a necessary flaw
in the design of power
that lets the vessel hold