Four
(Life Lessons)
He was taught
To treat women right
And he's seen enough cruelty in the world
To know
That if he doesn't
Who will?
.
He was taught
To feed the hungry
Not by an old man
Or common passerby
But by the feeling of dying
Slowly
While his stomach tries to eat itself
And the feeling of emptiness
That came from all his hope
Being eaten up too
He learned
There are worse fates
Than death by a knife
Even if
It's in the back
.
He was taught
How to fight
Because if he didn't
The world, in all it's cruelty,
Would swallow him up
And that's one meal
He won't serve
.
He was taught
How to cook
With nothing
Sea Kings and strange plants
Are just ingredients
And he wonders
If he knew then what he knows now
Would he ever have starved?
(Then he remembers:
Even the best chef
Can't cook rocks)
.
He was taught
To love
And feed
And fight
And cook
Though sometimes
When he echoes his promise to another hopeful
Ready to take him away to far of lands
(And, quite possibly, mystical seas)
But he denies-
He wonders if someone should've taught him
How to leave