Page 102

By Jack Joseph Smith

of the police, while I had continually refused to submit to their trickery. I saw my fathers shaking fingers, as his whole hand forced the pen across the paper, signing over our home. They did not get what they wanted from me, and I was certainly ready to accept the experience of jail, so they had to watch my father suffer. When we were walking out of the police station, I had wanted a gun so bad I now felt the angry taste of confrontation in my mouth. I tightened with my thoughts, as I felt their blur of blue tumble my head into a deep distain. It was all clear to me, the way they had everything set up, as silence came across the courtroom, as if everyone was waiting to suck on the unseen niple of the law. Our buldging mother, who throws our shouts in the wastebasket. The judge began to talk, as my probation officer made the final submission of my report. The probation officer was blind, and I really believe he only felt the kids. How else could he be there? He wore shades. That was enough for me. He was a good man. His movements seemed so sensitive among all these bull faces. The negro kids looked on him with pleasure and made way for him, when he walked. Blind or not, in this stupidity, those shades are a good sign, I thought. It seems to me. Cough. It seems to me, that this boy is headed toward alot of trouble. This is the first time that he has actually been brought before the court, but according to my report, he has been questioned on many occasions. What about this Michael? With your permission your honor, as Michael's representive, I will speak for Michael, stated the aid of Father Lawnegan. On occasions Michael has been known to be involved in fist fighting, but we of Saint Bernards believe it has always been in interest of the underdog. Gang fights, I believe, would be the more correct term, Father.

Original Scan

Page 102

AI Interpretation

GPT

Courtroom silence sharpens into accusation and spectacle as the judge takes up Michael's record, the blind probation officer submits his report, and Saint Bernard's begins to answer back in his defense.

The blind probation officer stands out as one of the few figures Michael reads with any respect, because he seems to feel children rather than merely process them. Against the judge's language of delinquency, Saint Bernard's reframes Michael's violence as loyalty to the underdog.


Claude

Watching his father's 'shaking fingers' force a pen across paper 'signing over our home,' Michael leaves the station wanting 'a gun so bad I now felt the angry taste of confrontation in my mouth.' The courtroom waits 'to suck on the unseen niple of the law.' Against the 'bull faces' he singles out the blind probation officer in shades as 'a good man' who 'only felt the kids' - the negro kids 'made way for him.' Michael reads the man with respect precisely because he seems to feel children rather than process them, while Saint Bernard's reframes his fist-fighting as defense of 'the underdog.'