Bought ( PSA for a call for submissions for NZ's proposed code of conduct for political lobbyists )

No, it's not Tuesday, and hopefully this is going to be the quickest poem I've ever written—and all because I HATE absolutely LOATHE corporates and big money lobbying (bribing & or threatening) politicians to act against the best interests of us—the people the politicians are supposed to be serving. 

Bought

Well, the ciggy people bought our pollies
And now we have the smokes
Death and taxes is the joke

But the doctors aren't laughing.

And oil bought the roads but we can't know
How or why
Just that the roads must happen while our ferries die

While tourists and families are stranded.

And the landlords stormed the parliament and
Gave themselves a rise
While starving children of their lunches
And eating Bellamy pies 

Yes, they deny children while troughing it on the public dime.

And so those pollies are so happy
They've raided NZ lives for their greed
And the lobbyists are happy
They've paid pennies to make billions for big company greed

While our public servants are fired including those protecting our primary industries from tragedy.

So this post is to inform you
That this very Monday eve at 5pm 8 April
Is the deadline to say enough
We don't want bribery to succeed.

Yup this is a last-minute PSA: Monday 5pm is the deadline for responses to the lobbyists gutting of the proposed lobbying code of conduct that we so desperately needed to keep bribery and the revolving door in line.

Here's an article from people who know more than I do. It also has handy links to other countries codes of conduct: https://www.transparency.org.nz/blog/media-release-draft-voluntary-lobbying-code-of-conduct-lacks-substance

And here's the site where you can make submissions:

https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/key-initiatives/political-lobbying/voluntary-code-of-conduct-for-political-lobbyists

"Us Two" by A. A. Milne

 

Wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
"Where are you going today?" says Pooh:
"Well, that's very odd 'cos I was too.
Let's go together," says Pooh, says he.
"Let's go together," says Pooh.

"What's twice eleven?" I said to Pooh.
("Twice what?" said Pooh to Me.)
"I think it ought to be twenty-two."
"Just what I think myself," said Pooh.
"It wasn't an easy sum to do,
But that's what it is," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what it is," said Pooh.

"Let's look for dragons," I said to Pooh.
"Yes, let's," said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
"Yes, those are dragons all right," said Pooh.
"As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That's what they are," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what they are," said Pooh.

"Let's frighten the dragons," I said to Pooh.
"That's right," said Pooh to Me.
"I'm not afraid," I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted "Shoo!
Silly old dragons!"- and off they flew.

"I wasn't afraid," said Pooh, said he,
"I'm never afraid with you."

So wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
"What would I do?" I said to Pooh,
"If it wasn't for you," and Pooh said: "True,
It isn't much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he. "That's how it is," says Pooh.

 

Winnie the Pooh is a beloved childhood nostalgia hit for me. I loved the poetry by A A Milne and its easy, flowing style. It takes a lot of work to get rhyme to flow so easily and naturally from the pen. :) 

But also it's an important thing to remember, sticking together is good. We can make the world better when we are not alone. 

Kia Kaha and happy Tuesday Poem flashback. :) 

A.J.

 

P.S. my A.A. Milne poems are here:My Minion, almost in the style of A A Milne's Market Square & Now We Are Old and Cynical.

My other posted A.A. Milne poems are here:The King's Breakfast as recited by Julie Andrews and Stephen Colbert, Teddy Bear, 

Can you see the Silence?

I have nothing but words to shine into the darkness
There are no dollars to buy your opinion
No marketing team to tell you what to think
Only words, and even those are murdered,
Hidden under the rubble of truth

All while oil lights the water
And munitions light the sky
And the smoke, the smoke
Is choking, burning, like phosphorous
Right down to the bone

Can you see beneath the noise?
If you look very carefully, you'll see
The gold-plated shackles
Placed on our democracy
Stretch to

An instant of clarity before
Twisted
Lies
Are
Spruiked

Wound over our eyes
And through our hearts
Choking our souls and silencing
Our screams with the nightmare cloth
Of kleptocratic dreams

A shroud of complacency
Woven from green dye and oil
While money buys the signal
And buries the noise

Can you see the silence?
The voices fallen quiet

Can you see the silence beneath the screen?

 A.J. Ponder

Well, I'm not sure if enjoyed is the right word, but I hope the poem has sparked something for you. It's one of my #protest poetry pieces.

If you enjoyed it, you may also enjoy some of my other protest pieces linked below, or if you'd rather have some fairy tale poetry my Portal to Fairytale poetry is here, or one of my personal favourites, Time Wyrm.

Your Billionaire Overlord: Today, I'm making the millions...

It's a New Age: The world's moved on. Once, the mighty pen could tear down kingdoms...

The Circle of Life :We have let the snakes...