The Zarnabis Eater

Peter, Peter you zarnabis eater
Why did you turn that way?
You’ve wrecked your life
Sucking zolls and pipe
An’ you ain’t coming back - no way
Your school work did depreciate
But the world didn’t appreciate
The fix that you were in
Peter, now you’re in a school
Where there’s basically just one rule –
Pipe or leave!
Which philosophy do you believe?
You always justify your fun
Saying: “I can quit any time
Just let me have this last one”

I wrote this in Pretoria, South Africa on March 9, 1979. I had just turned 18, had graduated from high school three months earlier, and was waiting in limbo before I fulfilled my compulsory two year military obligation, starting in July. These are my youthful reflections on a close friend's marijuana problem. In South Africa cannabis is referred to as "dagga" but the street slang of the time included the terms "dope", "zol", "boom" (the Afrikaans word for tree), "spliff", "ganja", "doobie", "madjat", "zarnies" or "zarnabis". Preparing a joint was referred to as "making a pipe", a "jay" or a "skyf". I can't say this piece really excites me but, hey, this is the Blogosphere - publish and be damned! By the way, my friend never managed to kick the habit.

Cheers MAlfaRK ©