Higher Education

When I thought I knew the most,
I was really just a fool
Taking pride in the knowledge
That I had gained in school.

I thought I knew the ins and outs
Of what makes the world go round.
To me, the future held no doubts,
I thought I stood on solid ground.

But what I've come to understand
My "worldly knowledge" was in vain
I was just building on shifting sand
By only relying on my brain.

My "book learning" was just absurd
When compared to my salvation.
The fear of God and love for his Word,
Would be a surer foundation.

Man can build towers that touch the sky
He can even put a man on the moon
But towers fall - in the blink of an eye,
Can be reduced to a pile of ruin.

Scientists can even clone a sheep,
Guess they'll try to clone a man pretty soon.
Meanwhile, they need prescriptions to sleep,
And to get them through the afternoon.

Well, they've taken prayer out of the schools,
But there's no problem bringing in a "9"
There's no more prayer, but plenty of fools
Like the ones they had at Columbine.

Someone else had had a great idea,
To put growth hormones in our foods.
Now we've got fat cattle and obese kids,
Taking Ritalin for their moods.

The greatest industries in history,
Are building factories by the score.
But the environment is in torment
With pollution from shore to shore.

We've built great cities according to plans,
That have neglected the working poor.
Now the homeless eat out of garbage cans
From San Diego to Baltimore.

"Well, you can lead a horse to water
But you sure can't make him drink."
And you can lead a man to knowledge,
But you sure can't make him think.

"My people perish for a lack of knowledge",
But not the kind that they teach in college.
That kind of knowledge just "puffeth up"
Making those fools who sip from sorrow's cup.

All of that "getting" and no understanding
"The fear" of God is what's mind expanding
Like a leaf in a wind storm, blown away,
In vain they'll build, if they neglect to pray.

"True wisdom", they simply disregard
As for me and my house - I choose God.

www.betweenthebars.org

Gary Field
M05398
Century CI
Century, FLA 32535

Twentieth-Century Poets