IGNORANCE IS BLISS
originally published in Opus literary magazine, 2011
The more you know, the farther you’ll go
down a dark and cynical path
to a bitter, troubling end
from which there is no return.
The more you see, the better you’ll be
at recognizing the problems
around you and the pain
within your own soul.
The longer you live, the more life will give
you reason to distrust your friends,
your family, and the entire system
in which you were raised.
The bigger your brain, the more you can gain
insight into all the ways you are held down
by the omnipresent glass ceiling
due to circumstances you cannot change.
The more you read, the less you will need
to be told just how infuriating
it is to be completely powerless
to help others or even yourself.
If you remain a fool, life can be cruel
to everyone else, while you remain
without a care in the world, without
even understanding your own ignorance.