Street Wise House Foolish Worldy Wise Cyber Foolish Poem by Sarah Mkhonza

Where do we go when all the
Word we tread on is taken?
I knew how to scrub floors
And could polish them shiny
Till I went out and saw the
Pavements dirty and broom
In hand a person sweeping
Them then I knew how street
Foolish I was for I thought
They swept themselves.

I learned some wisdom as I
Stood and noticed a man with
A sharp object piercing litter
And there I saw an invention
On the street which told me
Plainly that I was not just
House foolish I could not
Make it even in the streets
Unless I learn to be streetwise
And invent an object that can
Help me to sweep dirt and wash
Dishes standing for when I do
It any other way I am using
Somebody's energy and stealing
Ideas when even a street sweeper
Called it plegiarism.

Unless I use this tool and tell
It is the idea of another say
Steve Jobs or Bill Gates
Or some other person out there
Who donated MSDOS to the world,
I cannot even claim I am wiser
For I borrow every idea I use
From gurus of wisdom like these.

If I can walk in cyberspace
And not pick up the litter
That is all over this world
Of the internet with a sharp
Object but stand here a victim
Of hackers and all I am indeed
not only street foolish but
Also cyberfoolish. A time will
Come when my invention in hand
I will stand at corners and like
A Pharisee tell you all that I
Am not like the tax collector
That cheats uncle Sam like you
For see a woman with her own tricks
That render the whole world not
Only Cyberfoolish, but worldfoolish,
For someone out there is worldly
Wise like these computer people
Who have left us tied to their ideas
Like coins on the loins of an old
Woman whose money need not be stolen
By naughty township boys for they
Would have to kill her before they
Get into her undergarments for this
is not the place where streetwise
Tsotsis look.

This day is coming for I am each
Day taking a leaf off the wisdom
Tree for I want to win the battle.
They say there is no revenge that is
Better than success for every loser
Knows that. Call me a loser now, but
Talk to me when all the leaves of the
Said tree have been swallowed by me,
For voila! Streetwise I will never
To be caught unprepared by time.
For at the moment the riches are
Passing over my head at the speed
Of light and soon my spell is about
To be cast on them for the leaf
I am taking in my food daily does
Not joke when it wrenches things
from afar and puts them in front
Of me.