Statistics

Do you know what statistics is? It’s a thing

that’s used to make a general count

of people who are born, get ill,

who die, go to prison and get married.

But for me the peculiar thing about statistics

is the issue of percentages,

because there the average is always the same

even when someone has nothing.

Let me explain: from the calculations made

according to current statistics

it appears that you eat one chicken per year

and even if you can’t afford to buy a chicken

you are included in the statistics anyway

because someone somewhere is eating two.

Trilussa (1871-1950)