It’s election season
says the broadcaster
on evening etv

the season
of flesh-pressing
of promises
of hand-outs

not to mention
the passing
of the buck(s)
free t-shirts
even a free meal

and in what is said
to be the world’s
biggest democracy
Indians queue up

(that is if you believe
that democracy comes
around in the form
of the voting ritual)

Snakes within
though believe it
one is not repeating
politicians’ trading
insults with one other

Snakes within
a South African classroom
the community’s protests
falling amongst rubber bullets
and deaf ears too

It’s election season
the world is in change
and the more it changes
it seems to stay