What Does The State Give You? Poem by Zaw Thit

Don't insult the state
Don't make the dignity of state dirty

State has vast areas of land
The hut on the muddy field
With no water supply, no electricity
Which you have to give 50$ a month
Was built on the owned by the state
Do you think you can get state land easily
Necessary papers and evidence have to be signed
By state authority
If you build hut on the lands which was confiscated by force,
You will be sued by Trespassing Act.
What does the state give you?

The state has a lot of fields
The farmers grow paddies and crops
We don't need to worry about starvation.
If you don't have income,
You can bag for food.
If you aren't the licenced begger,
You must be patient to be arrested.
What does the state give you?

The state has a lot of factories
Which produce clothing
You can see them on Television which no true essence
You should wear clothing to protect your shame cost
State ladies wear one silk dress
cost over lakh after another
Don't you admire them?

But don't steal the skirt of the maid
Which is dried on the rope of back yard
It is not good to hear the title ‘skirt-thief'
This case is more serious than the theft of state
By signature so you will be severely punish
What does the state give you?

The state has a lot of hospitals
If you don't want to go to the hospital, because of the lack of medicines
It is your concern
There are iron beds for those who cannot afford for medical treatment
There are a lot of mortuary volunteer associations
What does the state give you?

The state has full of security
The citizens murder, burn, loot, rape one another
It is because of blind faith of nationalism
What does the state give you?

The state has a lot of schools
What…! ! !
Don't you send the child to school
Because you have nothing to eat?
You are too naïve
It is the education of free charge
Although you don't know what to do after graduation
You have the photo of graduation of your child
To proudly hand on the wall
What does the state give you?


The state has a lot of things
Unemployment, usual swindler, unsecurity, angry mob, medical care which has lost way, electricity: too plentiful to be dark, The owner of Thura Title who dares to expose his stomach, the politicion who is interested in nothing but politics, The minister who would slap the face of those who dare to do politics, the media who think that they will be only frightened when there is riot, unity which is torn into pieces with doubts, Jade and gold which have only shining colour but do not have right to own, imuned national affairs, fight against poverty or gun without bullet, smoky sky of corruption and bribery, Plan for milk substitution of liquor, the rivers and streams flowing with rapid heart-beat, art aimed at to be able to consume by every house, the hills which have to be worried about their own existence, flourishing future which dare to cut down with knife on the crowded street, the youngmen who are intoxicating with hatred, long-term trees which are cut down in group like the hair cut by a sharing knife, prisons into which people can be driven like cattle…


Think carefully
If you pay for tax from your meager income
What does the state give back you?


What?
You mean state is earth or human?
Who hand is the state in?
Whom does the state have to obey?
Stop! Stop!
You are too talkative!
State is state, nothing more; nothing less!


The state has no greed; the state has no persecutions
The state has no dictatorship; the state has no sympathy
The state has no human right
The state has even no people
The state has only state
State cannot grasped like a living thing or a material
What or who is the state? Don't think about it
What has the state given you?
Think over carefully
In stead of question only nod can make you live long

Next time
Don't make the state lose fare
Who will not be patient with
Whatever you say, whatever you do, whatever you write
Like your own parents,
Is the state
Well,
What does the state give you?



Zaw Thit
(6.8.2014)