Shallow, etcetera

take a deep breath and exhale,
feel the air on your skin and ask

yourself why you know so little, don’t
bother to learn but say out so much?

I know you – you are eloquent and wise,
but if not for autocorrect, are you sure

you truly can spell? Age is a drink and drug,
thou shouldn’t take more than prescribed

and be careful not to get drunk. the will
to learn is wet firewood; you have to let

it dry, break into pieces, blow to fire,
and continue to blow to keep burning –

burning bridges locks a man in ignorance,
if only you’ll listen to Hosea from 4 to 6 pm,

and pay attention to seeking what’s not
lost, you’ll learn from books, from women,

from water, from butterflies, from the clouds.
you’re an onion – open yourself to knowledge.

staying alive is not enough, one has to live-
learning is dust that never settles. Seek, find.

Tomide Abdul