--- title: '"Zomomotywa": anonymous typed satire poem on ZOMO and the party leadership' url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/zomomotywa-opposition-satire-poem-1982/ description: Typewritten verse headed 'ZOMOMOTYWA', dated April 1982, in which riot police and a list of named party and government figures are given insulting labels… section: Collection --- [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/) **Content note:** Vulgar satirical verse insulting named political figures and police, including 'Zionist' used as an insult. This object is shown as it was published. [Why](https://propagandaarchive.org/about/#as-it-was) [!["Zomomotywa": anonymous typed satire poem on ZOMO and the party leadership](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/zomomotywa-opposition-satire-poem-1982.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/zomomotywa-opposition-satire-poem-1982.jpg) # "Zomomotywa": anonymous typed satire poem on ZOMO and the party leadership Typewritten verse headed 'ZOMOMOTYWA', dated April 1982, in which riot police and a list of named party and government figures are given insulting labels ('cretin', a body part 'instead of a head') and accused of ordering violence against miners and steelworkers. Insult and rhyme stand in for argument. ## Text on the object Original (Polish) · read from the image, not independently checked ``` ZOMOMOTYWA Stoi na placu oddział milicji Silny i zwarty, pełen ambicji. Bój się milicji! Stoi i sapie, dyszy i chrzęści Wśród łbów zakutych w pały i pięści W łeb anarchistę, w łeb ekstremistę, w łeb syjonistę Już ledwo myśli, już ledwo czują Lecz oni nigdy nie zastrajkują. Za nimi działacze się przyczaili Tłuści, przewrotni, obłudnie mili Chcą na Syberii urządzić biwak Pierwszy z nich Wojciech drugi zaś Siwak Więc Herr Olszowski doczekał chwili Że Solidarność w łeb będą bili Czwarty w tej paczce głosik - Rakowski Piąty brew zmarszczył to Obodowski Szósty zaś dupę ma zamiast głowy, doczep mu uszy Urban gotowy Siódmy to pisarz wielki Żukrowski Ósmy Krasiński - kretyn beztroski Dziewiąty Czyrek uczeń Edwarda Mas robotniczych to awangarda Wszyscy są oni zdania jednego Że Związek Radziecki jest naszym kolegą. Że choćby przyszło milion Chińczyków I każdy zjadłby milion klopsików I srałby potem przez tysiąc lat To nie zasrałby Kraju Rad. Nagle gwizdynagle świst Gazy buch, pały w ruch Najpierw powoli, jeszcze z umiarem Ruszyła kupa zbójów [illegible: cepale?] Zabili siedmiu, chyba za mało Więc wali, wali pała za pałą Po głowach, po nogach i coraz prędzej Górników, hutników łomocze i pędzi A skądże to jakże to czasem tak gnają Że wali, że biją, że strzela pif, paf To aktyw partyjny, on wprawił to w ruch To aktyw z biura teleksem do Sztabów A Sztaby rozdają już pały wśród drabów. Ci biją, ci walą znów kogoś gnają Bo aktyw do Sztabu wciąż dzwoni i dzwoni A dokąd, dokąd to tak Z pałami z tarczami przez miasto, przez wieś Czołgami "Scotami" zastraszyć lub zgnieść Przepustka, rewizja, lśni bagnet i broń Złowieszcze krakanie rozlega się wron Przerazić, zagłuszyć - zagonić do bud A potem bagnetem do kopalń i hut Do pracy, do pracy, do pracy O kurwa jak długo tak można Rodacy! Kwiecień 1982 r. ``` English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader) ``` ZOMO-MOTIVE (title a pun on 'ZOMO', the motorised riot police) A militia detachment stands in the square Strong and tight, full of ambition. Fear the militia! It stands and puffs, pants and clanks Among heads encased in truncheons and fists Into the head of the anarchist, the head of the extremist, the head of the Zionist They can barely think, can barely feel But they will never strike. Behind them the activists have lain low Fat, perverse, hypocritically nice They want to set up a bivouac in Siberia The first of them Wojciech, the second Siwak So Herr Olszowski has lived to see the moment When they will bash Solidarity on the head Fourth in this gang, a little voice - Rakowski The fifth knitted his brow, that is Obodowski The sixth has an arse instead of a head, Urban is ready to attach ears to it The seventh is the great writer Żukrowski The eighth Krasiński - a carefree cretin The ninth Czyrek, Edward's pupil The vanguard of the working masses They are all of one opinion That the Soviet Union is our colleague. That even if a million Chinese came And each ate a million meatballs And then shat for a thousand years They would not shit on the Land of the Soviets. Suddenly a whistle, a blast Gas bangs, truncheons in motion At first slowly, still with restraint A heap of thugs set off [illegible: cepale?] They killed seven, perhaps too few So truncheon after truncheon pounds On heads, on legs and ever faster It thrashes and chases miners, steelworkers But where do they run from, how come That it pounds, that they beat, that it shoots pif, paf It is the party apparatus that set it in motion It is the apparatus that telexes from the office to the Staffs And the Staffs are already handing out truncheons among the louts. These beat, these pound, again chasing someone Because the apparatus keeps phoning the Staff But where to, where to With truncheons, with shields through town, through village With tanks 'Scots' to frighten or crush Pass, search, bayonet and weapon gleam The ominous croaking of crows sounds To terrify, to drown out - to drive into the huts And then with a bayonet to the mines and steelworks To work, to work, to work Oh fuck, how long can this go on, countrymen! April 1982 ``` Typescript with strike-overs ('przyczaili' is overtyped). The final word of the 'Ruszyła kupa zbójów' line is uncertain and marked. Read from a 1000 px image. [← Solidaritätsmeeting für El Salvador, Sandersdorf (Bezirk Halle)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/gdr-solidaritaetsmeeting-el-salvador-sandersdorf-1982/) ["NATO soldaten tegen kernwapens": banner at the Volkel air base demonstration →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/nato-soldaten-tegen-kernwapens-banner-volkel-1982/) ## Using the same techniques - [Behistun (Bisotun) rock relief and trilingual inscription of Darius I: the king, two attendants and the bound rebel leaders beneath the winged figure of Ahuramazda](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/behistun-relief-darius-and-rebels-521bce/) (Achaemenid Empire · 0000 · Card stacking, Name-calling, Testimonial). Content note: Shows bound captives before the king, and the inscription records the mutilation and public execution of rebel leaders, as the king's own account. - [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (Electoral Saxony · 1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking) - [Anacoana fut pendue sans raison (engraving in Le miroir de la cruelle et horrible tyrannie espagnole)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/anacoana-hanged-miroir-tyrannie-espagnole-1620/) (Dutch Republic · 1620 · Fear appeal, Name-calling). Content note: Engraving of a hanged, bare-breasted Taino woman, burning huts and people being killed by Spanish soldiers. - [Ondersoeckt de Geesten, ofse van den Duyvel syn, of niet (the De Witt brothers as devils)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/ondersoeckt-de-geesten-de-witt-devils-1672/) (Dutch Republic · 1672 · Scapegoating, Name-calling) - [The Highlanders Medley, or The Duke Triumphant (A Loyal Song)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/highlanders-medley-duke-triumphant-1746/) (Great Britain · 1746 · Name-calling, Transfer) - [The North Briton, No. XLV, 23 April 1763 (John Wilkes), opening page](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/north-briton-no-45-wilkes-1763/) (Kingdom of Great Britain · Apr 23, 1763 · Name-calling) - [The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/revere-bloody-massacre-king-street-1770/) (Province of Massachusetts Bay · Mar 1770 · Name-calling, Card stacking). Content note: Hand-coloured engraving of bloodied dead and wounded colonists after soldiers fired on a crowd. - [Marche du Dom Quichotte moderne pour la deffence du Moulin des Abus (March of the Modern Don Quixote in Defence of the Mill of Abuses)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dom-quichotte-moulin-des-abus-1791/) (France · 1791 · Name-calling, Transfer)