O Hail Civilization Poem by Thabani Khumalo

O hail civilization!
Always lingered out in olden times
But got to us just, lately with a dagger clipped,
When they gave us all their writing slates
And the chalk board in the classroom.
They gave us crudes to their languages
And papers unto which we'd write,
It was not enough to make us, then,
So it's more today to hypnotize us.
We are smart enough to listen, but
Just not enough to respond.
So we're taught to take their orders
And our culture is doing their work.
Negative knowledge is no knowledge at all -
We are being led into a subduction.