something i learned
image: janna lopez
by janna lopez
something i learned
is that learning takes time;
in fact, learning craves more time
than we have to live
learning exceeds a season, a decade
a purpose or reason,
a time stamp, second hand
tree-ring or hairstyle
to learn—
to really learn
we must trace shadows
entertain myths,
dismember dreams and
build monuments for our
disappointments
to learn—
to really learn,
we’re invited to trace outlines
of unforgotten shadows,
curve, by line,
our dashes, to others’ darkness,
aware every corner may hide
human cruelty
myths, on the other hand,
offer solace
we embed them, hold them
or treat them as whimsey,
allow our myths to grow or sputter
or become part of our light—
a beacon for learning’s shine
to generously bend in the wind
dismembering dreams
gives learning breath
for life to actually unfold, somewhere
between forging ahead and
clutching behind,
eventually, wisdom seeps in
so the art of knowing
might win
we’re meant to learn
but we forget
magic & wonder
float far away
towards expectation’s horizon
of how to be and who to become
leaving the joy vessel
of not yet knowing
to flounder
though teaching and learning
are of the same sea
there’s something pure to
learn about learning
if shadows remain untraced,
myths become bored,
dreams stay tidy, and
disappointments look nothing
like monuments built from
becoming
