An election is arithmetic – a poem

Jun 28, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor

I believe this piece titled “An election is arithmetic” captures some aspects of the issues currently at hand:

An election is arithmetic
But tricksters would like us to believe otherwise

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether you miscalculated
By sitting on your ass
For five years

Because you thought
Forfeiting the people’s oil wealth
Would bring you victory

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether a green house
Is somehow better than
A red house

When our architectural history
And our future
Are left to rot
In the rising Atlantic

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether the opposition
Is worthy
Or worse than
They were before

An election is arithmetic
It is not a time for your lawyers
To buy time
When Guyana is already living
On 50 years of wasted time

An election is arithmetic
It is not an obscure exercise
To prove whether 33
Is bigger than 32

Or were you unsure
Whether it was 4,000
Or 7,000
Families you threw onto the streets

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether you stand to lose
Your seat
In a Land Cruiser
Or a Lexus
When your level of public service
Deserves you sit on a bike

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether the winner
Will give you a job
A job you know you do not deserve

Or whether you will have to suck
Salt
For the next five years

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether the winner
Will steal our oil wealth

Or forfeit
55 Billion US dollars
Like you did

An election is arithmetic
It is not a beauty contest
Between Mother Therese and Stalin

Or between Forbes and Cheddi

An election is arithmetic
It is not whether you can create
An alternative
To adding up votes
For Region Four

Or whether you perfected
Burham’s dictatorial tactics
Tactics you seem intent
On unleashing

Against this grotesque stunted
Baby of a nation

Regards,
Jan Mangal

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