Not for me
young hands making
the associated gestures
as I direct some reading
material in his direction
(novels translated into German)

Germany where
there is the IIZ-DVV
they who continue
to support literacy here
(years into our democracy)

a volunteer is he
into football
and social media
no books for him
is the order of things

ditto too here
down South out
Africa way still
the basket case
of the developed world
(as that part calls itself)

(should I point him
in the general direction
of Dr James Matthews’
“How reading can change
your life”)

nearby a someone
says to me don’t moan
(what with the 781
million illiterate adults
in our polluted world
mostly women they are)

does one protest
too much

do you

(The said books were rescued from a pulping, courtesy of the Cape Town Central Library’s Friends of Central Library.The IIZ-DVV is the Institute for International Co-operation of the German Adult Education Association – www.dvv-international.de).

moaning and groaning (they do)

moaning and groaning
they do

the sweaty masses
the voting cattle
the public down there
lower in the food chain

moaning and groaning
they do

or did he say

moaning and grumbling
moaning and grousing
griping and complaining
whinging and carping

(I muse to myself
Bob Marley style
weeping and wailing
even a gnashing of teeth)

a local blue-shirt
has a Freudian moment
correcting himself
though not before
the library Friend herself
gently corrects him

(such politeness
and deference
one would swear
the folks up there
turn wine to water)

moaning and groaning
they do

like this is
what democracy
is all about
(First World-style)

every few years
or so

(A local Library’s recent Brunch brings forth this one.)