The so-called 'Peoples' Assembly'

I noticed something interesting that needs to be studied about the Arab Spring revolutions. As soon as any revolution starts, we see the Dictator rushes to the so-called ‘Peoples’ Assembly’ (which is also called Parliament or Congress in different countries) to give a speech to justify the crimes committed by his regime against the people. By doing that, he forgets that the members he is addressing in the ‘Assembly’ do not represent the people in the streets, but represent only themselves and him, as they all were assigned by his security branches Here came this poem to shed more light at that so-called Peoples' Assembly

The so-called ‘Peoples’ Assembly’

By Tarif Youssef Agha

We have been suffering for more than four decades

From what has been called ‘The Peoples’ Assembly’

As it is an assembly with no one ‘from the people’ elected

It was stuffed with all ‘bad’ ones, but not a single ‘good’ one

Most of its seats are occupied by thieves

Whose expertises are bribery and deception

On these seats you find those who are crazy about ‘titles’

Those who picked up their doctorates for a fee from every where

On other seats you find those who have the ‘rank’ complex

For the sake of their seats, they are ready to wage a war

And over there spread those who bark during the speeches

They don’t know that barking is the job of the dog

Every where you look, you find those with the long ears

Their job is to hear every thing including the ants’ walk

And some of them are just numbers

The value of each doesn’t even exceed that of a lizard

But, nevertheless, all of them have something in common

They all have neither conscience, nor heart

If they are really good in anything

That is applauding, clowning and going with the flow

How often they applauded when the people were mourning

But when the people were once relieved, they wept and mourned

If you hear them swearing, close your ears

As cowardice is their Prophet and money is their God bravery

Their rubber stamps can approve any law

They can even push a camel through a needle’s eye

They and the chickens walk the same path

And they agreed not to change it

From a far distance, they look like peacocks

But from a short one, you see deformed creatures

They deserve the best medals for what they say

But they deserve kicking and beating for what they do

If you call them pigs, you will not be unfair to them

But you will be unfair to the pigs

They don’t know the meaning of ‘face saving’

They deserve nothing but to be kicked and called names

They look like string puppets in the theater

Move by strings and change colors and clothes every day

Neither the faces are theirs, or the voices

They are nothing but suits crucified on pieces of sticks

They are called in their country ‘Groupies’

But they are also known as ‘The masters of robbery’

If it was up to me, I would desire to issue a warrant

To bring all of them to court

I would like to put all of them behind bars with the other killers

As they all belong together

In brief, it is an assembly like no others

If I have to portray it in two words, I say ‘Trash ready’

***

Poetry by: Tarif Youssef-Agha

Houston, Texas

Friday, November 4, 2011

http://sites.google.com/site/tarifspoetry