Monday morning
woke up at eight, it was a splendid morning
cool before the day becomes serious and
demanding attention
belonging to the 1% of people born before
the second world war, I'm often awake
in the night before falling asleep again
my first thought was not profound, but
about coffee, I had to drink it black since
I had forgotten to buy milk
switched on the computer, reading the news
scanned an article about the lack of sleep that
only spoke to the middle classes
to those who sit in nice offices filling in
forms and are unspecified planners of
something they think is important
not about building workers, or about those
who begin their day at six, shift workers
were overlooked, ditto the army of cleaners
a psychologist from Leeds had a word in
he had nothing relevant to say other than
He had a doctoral degree in sleep
not to be undone, an article about X that
was tendentious with no understanding
how important is it for our future
Dismayed, I went back to bed thinking
how idiotic the world is, full on self
important people and their tiny world
African continent in my dream
Must be the most learned continent
Millions possess strong degrees
Obtained from various universities
Bachelor of Arts in creative miseries
Bachelor of Science in serial denials
Master of Arts in pure ignorance
Master of Science in durable sorrow
There are many doctoral degrees
Earned from Universities of hope
Awarded by the council of desire
After specialization in failed prayers
The degrees obtained by desire,
Are they of any value to this Africa?
Can they catapult Africa development?
Answers are deep in your heart!
Those offered only some education
Those ones denied all education
Children crashed in conflict zones
Babies who peep and go back home
The denied, the crashed, peepers
Go away with imaginary degrees
Bachelors, masters doctoral degrees
With wasted opportunities and loss
So it happens in African homeland
Who can redeem it if not the divine?
After waiting for long time,
Finally I have collected.
My original degree certificate,
Smile floats on face more.
Being Doctor of Philosophy,
In Business Administration
I was waiting for this convocation
Finally this arrived with joy.
Passing through time of research,
Investing mind's attention,
Affection grew for Business Studies,
Process was completed by efforts.
Spirituality serves human resources,
Being spiritual we grow positively,
Rectifying organizational attitudes,
Employees tolerate pressure.
Now in journey of higher degree,
I am busy in Post-Doctoral research,
Already going to complete one year,
I hope to become Doctor of Literature.
By his mercy I have completed,
Beloved father of heaven is graceful,
God shows me destination, I proceed,
I feel his presence in my mind.
By his command in inner heart,
I feel emotion and love to serve,
This degree of Doctor of Philosophy
I dedicate to God, I nod in his lotus feet.
© Pintu Mahakul, 10, March 2017. All rights reserved.
Baby Thoughts
Hugs are babies’ first official language
Followed by triangles, circles, with assorted symbols
Infants pay special attention to white pillows and quilts
Sleep is always on their minds
Flowing over yellow ribbons of light and energy
Babies contemplate squares and rectangles lifted from the fog
They think about animals as fury toys and perceive them thusly
Images come slowly and they focus on shiny things
They feel their tiny fingers and toes to stay in touch
Letters and numbers are foreign to them now
Yet they understand some things about them in their world
Pink and white dreams of billowy clouds bounce by
They think to take this ride a lot
Streams of life with limited visibility color in the blurs
Shapes of things to come take form in these meanderings
They know two mountains warm with riches wait for them
Breasts filled with vitamins and milk
They cling to these mounds for nourishment
They rest their heads and think goo goo gaa gaa
It is the foundation of a doctoral dissertation later in life
While mothers voice flows over them like thick warm honey
Babies think of deeper sleep
I have a worthy goal
I pine to be a fossil
on permanent display
in some future museum
All it takes
is the proper soil
in which to reside
for years and years
of unflinching patience
And then a bit of luck
when a doctoral student
stumbles across my remains
and finds the subject
for her dissertation
Scientist will argue
over what it all means
and I will live on in death
as a smiling toothy enigma
Lost in a world that seems foreign to me,
this child standing here called me Grandpa
I don't recognize her, how can that be,?
These people here in uniforms call me Gene,
they tell me that my family is here today, but I'm
Lost in a world that seems foreign to me,
I look out my window, at a bird in a tree,
it's name is something, I don't recall
I don't recognize her, how can that be, ?
I feel trapped in this room, I wish to be free,
I don't remember when was the last time I ate
Lost in a world that seems foreign to me,
Someone just showed me a picture of a lady named Dee,
She said, she was my wife for forty years
I don't recognize her, how can that be,?
This lady says I was a surgeon, with a Doctoral degree,
She says Dad please, don't you remember?
Lost in a world that seems foreign to me,
I don't recognize her, How can that be?
emergency room
such doctoral confusion
medication goof
© Joseph S. Spence, Sr., (Epulaeryu Master) 4/21/08
All Rights Reserved, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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