INTELLECTUAL PROSTITUTION

Erle Frayne Argonza y Delago


Long have I worked within the walls of academe
And placed my foot as well in communities’ domiciles
One part of me cloistered in contemplative works
Another dipped in social activism to uplift the folks

Within we call those mercenary teachers and all
Whose independent mind is drowned in tanks of funds
By the title of this humble poem to naught
Not solely whore but ‘intellectual’ prostitute of yore

Such mercenaries bond to oligarchs besides
For whom they chalice their souls for money’s might
To say that they’d their heart commit to sure solution
Of poverty hunger inequity and social maladies
Is only as good as how much pay they’d melee

Great bounty hunters these biz cronies are
Track down huge hoards of funds to fatten purse
As do they fatten oligarchs’ own backyards & bins
With multiplying monies bury a whole city

Sure as the sun goes up the intellectual prostitutes
Will don the brows of bureaucrats as zestly stooge
Their mouths to festoon oligarchs with platitudes
While paupers grow the more and rot to die


[Philippines, 26 April 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]