To Rudolph and Leonell

if we wash our hands thoroughly
an elder invites to a morsel
a thing we do once is luck
yesterday. today. tomorrow
births consistency. consistency
births perfection. perfection
births mastery. mastery births
a crown. a crown can be called
a cap. a cap can be of any colour
the crown. the cap. the colour.

the people we do not help
will find it elsewhere. or die
and we won’t bear the burden
nor would we hear of the death
the people we lend a hand
may forget. call us bad names
and the world will be fair to them
the names we choose to bear
isn’t what we say. but what we show
leader. minimalist. occasional god

Tomide Abdul