Bureaucrats Poem by Pete Crowther

“Do not fear us — fear God! ”,
The notice in the visa office says,
But is that what they really mean?
I fear not! For bureaucrats,
And minor Ministry officials
In all countries are the same,
They wear dark suits, they do not smile,
Those men who exercise the power
To refuse. They never bend the rules,
Those rules they say they do not make
But just apply. Oh the pleasure
That they get from saying that!

At home they may be hen-pecked,
Over-ruled, and never get the chance
To have their say, but when they don the mantle
Of their office, see them grow:
A little power is a heady thing!
They feel like puppet masters,
The ones who pull the strings that make you dance.
It gives them lots of pleasure
If they can make you quake and tremble
For they’re just like playground bullies —
And I’d like to kick them all
Up the arse!