Poem
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Entitlements
no one likes a politician
no matter how good you are, no matter
how hard the job, no matter
how you serve the public
and whoever you love, and
whatever you’ve done
the press, they’re like bloodhounds
and they’ll always find it
in the public interest, it’s true
like if your kid’s being teenaged
just this once
you better believe the herald sun
will go full
MALIA OBAMA
SIPS CHAMPAGNE
UNDERAGE
on you
no one likes a politician
and sure, you can fly the family first class too
but you lose a lot, in public
office
don’t you
two hundred thousand for an annual wage
but still, you never see the easter hat parade
at your daughter’s school
you’re always away
marriage break-ups don’t poll well
part of the gig is staying together
everyone knows that by now
the sacrifice
you’re not
doing it for the pension, anyhow
no one likes a politician
then they retire on an annual lifetime income
of more than the average national wage
all paid up by the average national taxpayer
collected
while in a new corporate consulting job
in the same area as their ex-portfolio
no one likes a politician
but they earn the entitlements, you know
Get the news you need
to your inbox.
