Have you ever wondered?
Why all the big words,
Are meant for all the small people.
Just listen to yourself,
Trying to soothe a growling stomach:
“Poverty Eradication Programme for Alleviation of Nutritional Deficiency”
Wouldn’t food be easier to use?
Or trying to explain to that little child
Why his father has no job,
And no money to buy him a toy car:
“Structural Adjustment Programme for Redistribution and Empowerment of Labourers”
How about calling it Unemployment?
Then you try to tell the old lady,
Why for 20 years she has had no water,
And why the minister next door
Has taps flowing all day:
“Rural-Urban Restructuring of Social Amenities Programme”
Simply put Corruption!
You go to visit the farms,
And the labouring, sweating farmers
Ask why they still have no seed
In the middle of the planting season
You stutter for a second, or two,
And come up with another one:
“Regulatory and Ethical Procedural Committee for Genetically Modified Seeds”
Simply stated, I don’t know and I don’t care, just feed my big stomach!
Or the time you tried to explain
Why wages are always getting less,
But some people seem to get richer:
“Programme for Financial Security and Redistribution of National Resources”
So I’ll continue taking the little you have,
So I can have more.
As you think about all the big words
To explain to the small people
Why their small problems
Have such big names
Here’s another one for you:
“Linguistics Council for the Propagation of Inter-Cultural Exchange”
Does anyone know what that is?
Because they sent me here?
(Extracted from "One String Guitar" Available at www.kindlebooks.co.za)
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