The Pygmy Giant

by Leah Armstead

The audience is glued to their seats.
Not because the film fascinates them.
They are stuck there because
they really are glued to their seats.
It’s a crisis.
Rescue workers come to unstick everyone.
It takes hours. Chairs are torn up.
Masses of soap and water help dissolve the glue.
Victims are pulled and pushed to release them.
It’s inevitable that some clothes are ripped
and ruined. Dignity is lost.
Some people need tranquilization. Some people need
counselling. Some people will end up with
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
even with the counselling.
Some people just get up and go, in tatters,
soaking wet, but wanting to just get away.
Most manage to file complaints with the police.

Despite enquiries, studying CCTV
and a reenactment on Crimewatch,
the crime remains unsolved.