I Wish I'd Learned That Sooner

I wish I had learned sooner the power of attention to detail.

I wish I had learned sooner the futility of getting a woman to like you simply by being nice to her.

I wish I had learned sooner the power of self-love.

I wish I had learned sooner who my real friends were.

I wish I had learned sooner the importance of food and sleep.

I wish I had learned sooner to do legal research well.

I wish I had learned sooner the perils of emotional dependence.

I wish I had learned sooner to speak my true mind always.

I wish I had learned sooner that ism would always be a part of life.

I wish I had learned sooner to live life less intensely.

What do you wish you had learned sooner?

The Merchant and the Leper 5

Part 5: The Liver of a Leper

The King’s beloved daughter fell ill
Could not be healed by prayer or pill
The Leper whispered in the King’s ear
Let the Merchant heal her or die here

He travelled to distant lands and ‘hoods
Until he met the Spirit of the Woods
Who knew an ancient healing plan –
The liver of a freshly killed man

The Merchant returned to the King’s palace
“I have the cure”, he said with a hiss
“Kipper, pepper, liver of a leper!
"I'm pretty sure that will help her"

Before the western sun went down
The Princess walked through the town
But the Leper was seen no more
It’s said his death was all agony and gore!

The End

The Merchant and the Leper 4

Part 4: The Bull and the Snake

A stranger plot is then hatched
Its evil intent most unmatched
“See the fiery bull in the fields
“Go yell till its life it yields”

Sitting on the wooden fence
The Merchant has lost hope and sense
His friend, the serpent, crawls to him
And offers to save his wealth and limb

“I will sneak upon the bull
“When you’re screaming loud and full
“Unseen by your foes and their gangs
“I will kill it with a stab of my fangs”

So, the bull was “screamed” to death
Seemed just give up on breath
(There were more tasks planned from hell
Until calamity befell)

The Merchant and the Leper 3

Part 3: Millions of Grain

The Leper goes to see the King
More intrigue does he bring:
“You made it easy, and he won
“Set him a more difficult one.”

“Take him to your Great Granary
(’Bout which you sing like a canary)
“Mix up all the grain of the land
“Let him separate each kind by hand”

The kind Merchant is sad again
As he walks, all can see his pain
He meets the Ant who he’s helped before
The Ant brings his colony to the grain store

Rice and Barley, Oats and Wheat
All are sorted nice and neat
When King and Leper come to check
They both go like “What the heck!”

The Merchant and the Leper 2

Part 2: The Baobab Tree

“Pick all the fruit off the Baobab Tree”
Was the King’s insane decree
“But drop not a leaf to ground
“Or I’ll take your dollar and pound”

The merchant went weeping on his way
His future looked bleak and grey
How could he this task execute?
No one could pick just the fruit!

He met the playful monkey
Who he’d helped a time or three
“Today your kindness will save you,
“Of trees, I know a thing or two.”

Swinging here and there
Was not done with lesser care
Down in no time are the pods
But not a single leaf plods.

The Merchant and the Leper 1

Part 1: Kindness Repaid

A kind, old Merchant rides homeward
With his caravan from abroad
He sees a Leper at the roadside
And brings him home to reside

Rather than give great gratitude
The Leper picks an attitude
He’s torn, by green envy, apart
At the Merchant’s golden heart

The Leper goes to see the King
And taunts his blue blood to pink
“Why do you sit idle and weak,
“While the Merchant’s riches peak?”

“What shall I do”, the King enquires
“Whatever your sovereign will requires!”
“Set tasks he cannot do,
“Then seize his wealth and due!”

Series - The Merchant & The Leper

It's been a while since I wrote a series. For the rest of this week, we will serialise the story of the Merchant and the Leper. It teaches a lesson at the end. Enjoy.