The Schooled Illiterate Poem by Maureen Alikor

walks within
the four walls
of a prison
trade his cash
for written materials
materials left unopened
unopened thus unread

walked beneath the sun
attending to men
instead of to scripts
her man's hard work
she flung without shame
no knowledge acquired
yet tagged educated

sluggishly moving
towards the goal
called graduation

she fancies a writer
yet
she barely writes
she emerges with high grades
higher than the highest mountains
she scatters the English
yet claims a scholar

he walks around
shoulders high
legs flung apart
in majestic walk
as he claims 'd don'
yet
never sits in class
seen here and there
never a destination in sight

you read
they score
you sweat
they party
after it all
roll call is made
everyone is flushed out
into what seem to be
a pool of many soldiers
bearing a title and a tag
though heads empty as can be

they are schooled
but uneducated
who will save us from such shame?
Who will liberate the common man?
Who will reverse the norm?
Time will truly tell