(world) hunger
malnutrition
illiteracy
femicide

But not this
I say to a neighbour
he armed with a broom
sweeping up bottle shards
from our local street

(whilst batting off
cars coming our way)

(In nearby Newlands residents
are irked by rugby fans’ littering)

We were naughty he says
we got up to mischief

(I relate throwing stones
on to a collaborator’s roof
his role rewritten
his quisling teacher union
popularly welcomed back)

But not this
glass in the road
at our school’s back gate
who was protesting
what was being protested

Might we blame the children
can we blame the children
what do we teach the children

Hands idling
(no books at hand)
minds idling
(a hard day’s night
in the school trenches)

But not this