politrickian follytician
promises broken promises
promises promises

I’m not a politician
says a librarian new
to the library-local

I tease her over playing
a Saturday Scrabble game
she saying she only knows
four-letter words

like an impressionable
everyday young one
parroting those around
(the politician cuss word)

I’m not a politician
she retorts at my wanting
her to promise to play

I mean could one be
serious about that
is it a job a career

living off the fat of the land
sitting in committees passing
resolutions passing gas delivering
speeches instead of services

(and handing over gifts to the needy
as an election practice-run like one
a letter-writing poseur grinning
in full colour in a local paper)

(who calls it work after all
someone early in their life
saw hardly any difference
between a piano player
in a whorehouse and a politician)

I’m not a politician

Former US president Harry S. Truman it was, on his career choices; cited by Dr Pali Lehohla, in his Cape Times, Business Report INSIDE STATISTICS column (July 18 2017); and the Athlone edition of the People’s Post covered the said politician-local’s hand-out (“Celebrating friendship”, 26 Feb 2019). UB40’s in the “follytician” expression.