Personal and Official

 

 

The former is what I feel

The latter is a must

And mixing up the two of these

Can lead to distrust.

 

 

 

As happens very often

Re these two positions,

Officials can be thrown into a spin

By personal decisions.

 

Personal is not official

And should never be mixed

And presenting both the same

Is a deceptive trick.

 

Conflict of interest

This is sometimes called

And this type of gross behaviour

Should be appalled.

 

Using an official position

To satisfy one’s greed

Is tantamount to dishonesty

Whatever the deed.

 

 

Public servants especially

Should guard against this,

Betraying the trust of citizens

Is a criminal shift.

 

Misappropriation of funds

Is an awful practice

And when done to treat oneself

Is a horrid injustice.

 

Never mix up these two;

Keep the funds apart,

If given such a responsibility

Be honest from the start.

 

Money entrusted to you

Though a personal trust

Should be used as officially agreed

And not as a personal must.

 

Personal and Official

 

 

The former is what I feel

The latter is a must

And mixing up the two of these

Has led to distrust.

 

Stewart Russell © December 17, 2024