The Polite Poem by Raj Arumugam

The polite are efficient;
the polite are cruel
with their cold and distant manner
smooth non-committal words
and safe generalizations
and ambiguous as the words of Delphos,
and Janus-faced,
they keep their clients ignorant
with a restrained smile and fine words
in measured tones
they hold the listener at arm’s length desperation.
A fine strategy this politeness
to deprive, to isolate, to put away and marginalize.




(from The Migrant - notes of a newcomer (February 1997- July 1998))