Why Are We Kept Waiting? Poem by Ali Rahimi

Why are we kept waiting?
We are forced to wait,
In long queues, at registration desks, at airports, passport controls,
Yes, we’ve got to wait,
Wait, wait, wait, wait,
Patience, patience, patience,
Behind red traffic lights, burning up in our cars,
Or sweating at bus stops, in banks, toilet queues, ticket queues,
In restaurants waiting for your order,
Queues, queues, queues, queues
Feel irrelevant, bored to death, restless, on tenterhooks,
Time is longer, deeper, sharper, harder, stronger,
Time is melting us, withering us, destroying us,
What does it feels like? Waiting, waiting, waiting,
Our parents have always preached us:
Patience is the virtue of the kings, patience is the mother of virtues,
Patience is the ability to wait? Or fools’ last resort?
Why are we kept waiting?
We devise tricks to use our time while waiting,
Listen to music, read novels, What’s up, Facebook, YouTube,
We try to baffle society’s effort to waste your time,
Some get tense and walk around, and watch strangers,
Looking at our watches, watches, watches,
Being kept waiting by others,
‘’Meeting in progress, don’t disturb’’,
“Only authorized personnel can enter’’, others stay away!
Why are we kept waiting?
Punctuality and obedience are virtues of the successful, the adage goes,
Power, waiting and power, waiting and manipulation, waiting and repression,
They keep us waiting to show their power,
Bosses are late or never come to dictate ‘’We keep you waiting, you are under control’’,
Students stand still, cemented to their seats, waiting for the teacher,
Availability is beneath teachers’ dignity! , Scarcity is credit and prestige! ,
‘’Never-be-in-your-office’’ power,
‘’Go-to-class-late ’’ power, ‘’don’t-answer-emails’’ power,
‘’Make-yourself-rare’’ power, ‘’don’t-read-students-theses’’ power,
Like detention, imprisonment, hostages, yes, students are customers,
Must wait and zipppppppppp it,
Why are we kept waiting?
Education is test of control tolerance, arrogance tolerance,
Education is test of students’ abuse tolerance,
Psychological torture, render them suicidal, keep them waiting,
In pursuit of education, wait, wait, wait and don’t breathe a word,
Keeping others waiting is the birthright of the powerful elite,
Waiting rooms, hierarchies, ill-tempered secretaries, empty offices,
We never live, we are just waiting to once live, just aspirations, expectations, dreams,
This is the sad, irritating truth, my brother, my sister,
NO MORE WAITING?
Why are we kept waiting? …