130 Body of Crime MARK ANGELES Body of crime I stand before a wall of fire … (throwing at it a look as rigid as the eyes of an assassin, as hollow as a thousand-yard stare) the fire swelling, boughing licks of flame spreading on the TV screen— the news of circling violence happening at another part of the world has held me enthralled at this scene (theatrical): foot soldiers in full battle gear flanked before the wild conflagration. What is the scene? Where is the flame? At this side of the wall, I am not harmed. But here comes a poem that stands furiously, set to take the bull by the horns with words (to) Speak of Kampala, Kurdistan, Gaza, Guantanamo, Bazar-Kurgan, Srebrenica, Darfur, Baghdad, Ampatuan …