BON VOYAGE by Hannatu Adamu

Come, my child, did I hear you right?
Come, sit tight, you give me a fright

Your father, as you well know, left me out in the cold
And right now, I am spent, tired and very old

I’ve lost your father to the sea; your brother to the army
And now you beg for me to let you also fly free

I possess not the strength to fight you
Follow your heart and do what you must do

I’ve known your legs to wander, even before you could walk well
And I’ve never known you to tire; your legs itch once more, I can tell

If it is your heart’s desire; your chosen path with good reason
Though methinks the time is ripe for advice so listen

Go well, my child, but beware of the world
Whatever you do, please fear your Lord

As you go through life you’ll see
That it is not as organized as the bee’s

You will meet with all sorts of influence while out there
Of every kind of vice, please beware

From every conceivable form of temptation, refrain
The littlest forbidden pleasure must later cause you pain

The most angelic faces are most often the devil’s
Be careful: you are bound to find them in life, at all levels

Your heart is your most prized possession; guard it with diamond vaults
It is your one custody most vulnerable to faults

Seek knowledge, and always stick with the facts
But use the good and leave the bad ones intact

Be the last to succumb to a fight
All people, good and bad, treat right

Live your life a simple one; don’t complicate it
That way, you can always rearrange it or make a quick exit

Be wary of an innocent’s curse; hurt no one, so no one may hurt you
Then peace will be your closest companion, ever with you

Enter into no agreement, till your side is safe; no stake
There are crooks about the earth; make no mistake

Trouble is a close friend to one loquacious
Speak concise, but in all, be righteous

Money is mostly evil; those who live for it are doomed
For extravagancy, make no room

Pride is disease to the human being
Be humble on the outside; you can be proud of your humility within

Patience is a virtue: this is most definitely true
If you court it, you will always be in gratitude

Trust no one; have no enemy, have no friend
You will be the wiser in the end

Travel far and wide; travel is good
But no matter how far you go, do come home to your roots

Go safely, my child: for now, goodbye
Be gone with you! Be gone! I’ll say you some prayers, even as I cry

About Post Author

Hannatu Adamu

mamahannatu@gmail.com