Education

Transparency in Photoshop does not mean nothing's there,
It's more the layer's clear to us, like plastic stopping air;
Opacity can shift and change as layers are built up,
Just like my drafty window's plastic warps my perfect look.

A culture is like that for us as we peruse the next;
We're held at bay, like shifting air when plastic wrap is fixed,
We see beyond our culture's world, opaque to some degree –
We think it's just distorted, no – you're just the same as me.

I drafted out two lists of traits, a rough list from the book,
Then asked what would be needed if supportive role I took;
But like the folks from India who had a life with Brits,
Our language looks and sounds the same, but plastic wrap exists.

Two cultures share a common talk and words upon the page,
But when two cultures clash we know one often gets enraged;
Embedded in the choice of words and grammar we select,
Assumptions lie, quite clear to us, where other’s ships are wrecked.

We all quite xenophobic are (your sun goes ’round my earth):
“Of course you will defer to us, for we arrived here first –
Well no, I guess not, but our guns were bigger than your bows –
You never will be tall as us, though standing on your toes.

“Like God, our ways are not your ways, for you from heath derive;
I look down on your ways, say thanks I'm not like that inside;
For look what we've attained – you guys – our rocket ships and guns –
We'll dominate this continent so long as river runs.

“Well no, it now polluted is – depicts our presence here –
Like fire-water at the first, here, kill your pain with beer;
We'll educate your kids a bit, but not an awful lot,
Just be content to live your life, stay on reserves and rot.

“For plastic wrap's between our ways, keeps you from passing through;
Or us to you, it's best that way, do what you gotta do;
Your leaders look and sound like us, but never they will be
One of us guys, at least until the Chinese cross the sea.

For then all bets are off I guess, on reservations all
Of those whose arrows lose that fight to bigger guns and fall
Beneath the sway of ancient ways far different from us two –
And then our kids will struggle like your kids in our world do.

“Another wrap of plastic then will come between the layers
Of cultures, power, and resource-flows, the big and little players;
But what the heck, that's years away, that day may never come;
And when it does I long will be in yonder Kingdom Come –

“Well no, I guess you're right there too, our attitudes betray
Assumptions of our lives down here, and how this game we've played;
But maybe I can sweet-talk Him to let me past the gate,
Because I really am the best – and He should tolerate.

“Well no, I guess I don't do that – hey, no! That's what I do!
I let you walk the sidewalks here, and educate you too;
If you would just change ways of life to be like us, you see,
We'd all get brownie points down here – in heaven we'd all be.

“Well no, I guess you have a point, your ways just don't appeal
To us, and if we went your way, then we'd be squeaky wheel;
Oh well, I guess I'll never know – I on my way must be –
For money, that's my God, you see, is calling ‘come to me’.”

“Capitulate”, said Bonaparte, “I wish not to destroy;
Take up reforms I bring to you, our culture's ways employ;
We'll help you to fit in with us, and educate your kids,
But if you don't, we'll beat you down, till ‘heath-en’ ways we're rid.”

Development is what it's called, the Socialists are worst –
Too great the gap twixt you and us, we'll clean the slate off first;
The Nazis, Commies, Pol-Pot too used this as opening moves
Some day this way will find success, goodbye like serfs and Jews.

For money's like Almighty Voice, without his quality;
It calls to us, ‘development’ – take up our ways and be
Successful, rich, and arrogant (or nice, it matters not)
So long as you come play this game, and live as you've been taught.

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