The World as Teacher

The world does not speak softly.

It hits,

it burns,

it humbles,

but always it teaches.

It shows me that love is not always gentle,

that loss can carve wisdom

into the hollows of my chest.

It teaches patience

by refusing to bend to my will,

and courage

by forcing me to stand

when everything trembles.

The streets whisper secrets I cannot ignore,

the sky drags clouds across my days

to remind me

that storms pass,

but the lessons they leave

linger long after the rain.

Even betrayal is a tutor,

even heartbreak a professor,

even silence a lecture

on who I am,

who I could be,

who I will become.

The world is relentless,

but I am learning—

and every scar, every stumble,

is its way of saying:

Notice. Grow. Rise.