Bureaucracy

And there is little chance that it will ever go away,
For all throughout man's history it always has been true,
That rulers like to keep control of all their people do.
When people were illiterate 'twas often still the case
Dealing with officials was a thing they had to face;
Desire to exercise control since then has never ceased,
And it has grown from year to year as literacy increased.
And so today in every state it has become the norm
That thousands of activities demand some sort of form
Complete with lists of questions, which grow longer every year,
As if the rulers of the state live constantly in fear
Their power would quickly be reduced if people were allowed
To live their lives without the rulers' all-embracing shroud.
Computers and cheap printing both have helped promote the scale
Of government intervention, making past attempts look pale.
And then  of course bureaucracy .needs bureaucrats to run
The larger civil service, to ensure the work is done.
So the government hires more people so they have sufficient staff
For all the work it now it requires be done on its behalf.
Life was so much simpler when the government touch was light
With many living out the lives outside their ruler's sight.