The White Man's Burden

Take up the White Man’s burden

The most thankless task in history

That it was the most important

And dangerous, is no mystery

And he did it not for his own gain -

A sated conscience would suffice

For the betterment of Mankind

He made this selfless sacrifice.

 

Left behind his sunny Europe

Yes, from Paradise did he go

To lands smoke-choked and stifling

Braving the barrages of snow

Left behind his land of plenty

Acres of fertile land to sow -

Abroad for the barren desert

Where hardly anything could grow!

 

He left behind his land unspoiled

And in a foreign land he toiled

He put food in the heathen’s house

He put prayer in the heathen’s mouth

“Before he came,” I hear you ask

“However did the brutes survive?”

Without a doubt God sheltered them

Till their saviours should arrive!

 

He taught them how to read and write;

And manners, and propriety;

He taught him how he must behave

In a modern society;

Taught him to treat all men the same;

Nor lust for power, which men crave ;

He taught him to value freedom

By turning him into a slave.

 

’Tis the White Man’s Burden, you see

To bring light to those in the dark

“And light indeed their coffers be

And yours; heavier!” you remark -

With jealous eyes the native spies

His sweat’s produce go overseas

But, trust me; a secure trustee

This man who your wealth oversees!

 

His muskets taught the native strength

They should be thankful that he deigned

To teach them Industry through Poverty

And freedom through chains.

Yet, “Chase the White Man from our land!”

The native yells, the native cheers

I wonder, does he realize

That now he’s just as European??

 

“You know what, memsahib,” he says, panting

As he chased him out the country -

 

“Though your words are fancily worded

I don’t know who you’re bullshitting

You call it the ‘White Man’s Burden’

Yet it’s us does all the lifting!!”

 

 

Reviews

[M.Babu]

You outdid yourself here bro.
The depth and clarity of your words, the satire towards the original piece is so astounding yet so perfectly worded it's not obnoxious.
You speak such volume of struggles and arrogance but wittingly with such a smooth rhyme scheme and great diction.
This is your best work. THIS is THAT piece.
Great one!

[TLK]

The pun at the end is an excellent crashing-to-the-ground moment: for the epic/heroic literatures nature of the language preceding, for the memsahib as an individual character, and for white colonial culture in general.