General Knowledge (I.P.)

“Thou knowest all; I sit and wait
with blinded eyes and hands
that fail, till the last lifting
of the veil and the first opening
of the gate.” The True Knowledge
Oscar Wilde.

In my book, knowledge
is not measured
by a certificate, or a scroll –
a string of letters
after one’s name...
a ribbon, or a medal;

it’s baking a perfect
loaf of bread
that rises right on time –
sensing by a smell
in the air it’s going to rain

or interpreting that look
on a stranger’s face
tells you, you’ve met
somewhere along the way

and when you put
your head on the pillow
at the end of the day,
it’s the knowing, maybe
you’ve helped change
someone’s life, just
a bit for the better.