Sycophancy And Servility Poem by Venkateswaran Krishnan Sreenivasan

The instinct to kneel before a fellow creature
Is not born of innate nature
But bred in the bone by nurture and culture
Of sycophancy and servility
A deep rooted canine fidelity

Sycophancy and servility are two faces of the same coin
One compliments the other, tied to each other’s loin
The same equation as between master and slave
One to order and the other to condescend and behave

The politician stands in the front of the queue
For fame and renown, his overbearing stature in full view
Before us in our homes on the screen or in print
By his prolific words and gestures on the gullible he makes an imprint

The cricketer is far ahead of the gods in worship and command
He is endowed with awards the highest in the land
He is conferred contest free an upper house seat
All honors for excellence in his chosen feat

The cine celebrities are next in the line for high praise
By their fanatic fans in the media who raise
Them to the skies, emulate their style and wiles; a craze
That lasts till their glamour and glitter efface

Great writers and poets by nature are a class apart
Their writings rightly appeal to the heart
Of their readers who play their part
With the wisdom and grace they impart


The politician perpetuates his tribe by statues in his name
Erected all over the country for fame
The cricketer is conferred the highest honor of the land
When he runs short of runs, on public demand

The cine stars acclaimed and adored throughout
Are honored on death by a gun salute
The writers and poets for their glaring unsavory truths
Borne of abstract thoughts get floral wreaths