by Alex Hand
The prime minister called an election, six weeks later
he called and he called but not a soul shook his hand
ignored by passers-by with matured visceral disdain
Babies withdrew their puffy plump cheeks from kisses.
Nationwide indifference for the opposition leader too
with hundreds of palm card prompts but no solitary ear.
No one attended his photo-ops, or indifferently listened,
factory workers in hi vis vests gave him no background.
Election teams set up carboard booths and laptop cables,
for voters who never came, and the crosses were nought
there was no number crunching, there were no numbers;
the electorate disregarded the entire campaign entirely.
Pollsters failed to detect anything unusual in responses
predicting instead a hung parliament full of independents.
Without armbands or roadblocks citizens had rebelled,
and simply opted out, quietly emptying all the benches.
The constitution contains nothing to deal with this,
an election where no party wins or opposition loses.
Voting is compulsory and each fine remains unpaid.
At every table you hear ‘I served my country well’.
The prime minister called an election, six weeks later
he called and he called but not a soul shook his hand
ignored by passers-by with matured visceral disdain
Babies withdrew their puffy plump cheeks from kisses.
Nationwide indifference for the opposition leader too
with hundreds of palm card prompts but no solitary ear.
No one attended his photo-ops, or indifferently listened,
factory workers in hi vis vests gave him no background.
Election teams set up carboard booths and laptop cables,
for voters who never came, and the crosses were nought
there was no number crunching, there were no numbers;
the electorate disregarded the entire campaign entirely.
Pollsters failed to detect anything unusual in responses
predicting instead a hung parliament full of independents.
Without armbands or roadblocks citizens had rebelled,
and simply opted out, quietly emptying all the benches.
The constitution contains nothing to deal with this,
an election where no party wins or opposition loses.
Voting is compulsory and each fine remains unpaid.
At every table you hear ‘I served my country well’.
4 comments:
Clever, imaginative, good wordplay (I especially liked "the crosses were nought"), and a sad commentary on political engagement in extreme times.
Strong imagery, and maybe a pre-cursor to a future of dissatisfied voters, pollsters and plump-cheeked babies. Visually appealing, and timely, with an election in the coming weeks. Great work again Alex.
Sad but true. Captures the current Zeitgeist perfectly. A population numbed by floods, bushfire, and a government that buries its head in coal like an ostrich.
Perfect timing with an election ahead, couldn't agree more with your commentary for this topic.
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