A poem to share some of my thoughts and frustrations in NGO work and Academia.  I believe scholarly research is so necessary, yet at times I get frustrated with how much talk is followed by such little walk.

 

The Academic


In the Land of Parzania, the Center of the Universe
Where knowledge is said to be the key,
Of doctors and lawyers, and engineers
An academic is the one to be!

 

With calculations and theories, yes with concepts
The Academics do tell,
an explanation of everything
yes, even of Heaven and Hell!

 

With certainty he says, the data does elude
That the Sun is in love with the Moon,
Should the Moon find out, he’d certainly stop
Promising our permanent doom!

 

The commoners, they listen intently
On the wild theories abound,
But some can’t help but wonder
What will really happen on the ground.

 

They’ve heard such antics, they’ve seen it before
Like when the War did end,
The Academics did promise,
That there could be no war, yes never again!

 

See the Academic, she’d studied poverty
at the finest university in town,
Followed by the Food Aid conference,
at the swankiest hotel around.

 

 

But when she left Parzania
true poverty she did find,
The theories now seemed irrevelant
only their sorrow filled her mind.

 

Perplexed she called her mother
An aging Academic herself,
Listened to her daughter’s inquiry
When reading the books on her shelf.

 

“Mother what can I do?”
The daughter cried on the phone,
“The theories now seem worthless
When you’re starving, cold, and alone.”

 

“Knowledge is great, theories are better”
The mother quickly replied,
“But the best are those morsels of wisdom
Those that can be easily applied.”

 

“See Academics are neither good nor bad
As by now you have probably pained,
But they have a choice what to do
With the abundant knowledge they gained.”

 

“So be learned, yes read and write
And be cultured, yes it’s all true,
Just remember God cares not what you think
But watches what you can do.

 

A Poem by Frank Fredericks

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One Response to The Academic

  1. natashalatiff says:

    This is so so so so GOOD. WOW. You are so talented!

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