The World Is Tired

At 98 years,
Mr. Kamau spoke to the gathering youth,
One word per minute,
Though he stood before 200,
His voice seemed to echo from miles away.

He said:
We grew up being told —
The world will teach you.
But that was long ago.

I have lived long,
Seen much,
And now I tell you:
The world is tired, like me.
It no longer has the strength to teach.

So, go ahead—

Disrespect your elders, the world won’t teach you.
Skip your lessons, the world won’t teach you.
Neglect your duties, the world won’t teach you.
Indulge in substance abuse, the world won’t teach you.
Engage in early lust, the world won’t teach you.
Steal from neighbors, workplace, country—the world won’t teach you.
Bully your parents, peers, colleagues, and leaders—the world won’t teach you.
Defy all authority, the world won’t teach you.
Follow bad company, the world won’t teach you.
Lie at every turn, the world won’t teach you.
Lose yourself in technology, the world won’t teach you.
Vandalize school, community—the world won’t teach you.
Be wasteful, careless—the world won’t teach you.

My children,
The world is weary of teaching,
So do as you please—
The world will not teach you.