Cautionary Poem
If I die, do not follow me
If you follow me, I will increase your
suffering
If you follow and find me in hell
I will ask the Ruler of hell
To double your furnace seven times
Better, remain on earth
If I die, do not follow me
If you follow me, I deprive you of your
blessing
If you follow and find me in heaven
I will ask the President of Heaven
To deduct your blessings seventy-seven
times
Better, remain in the world
If I die, do not follow me
If you follow me, I will expose your identity
to the ancestors
If you follow and find me in the ancestral worlds
I will ask the ancestral intelligence
To cast you out into the wanderlands
Better, remain in the space
Poet:
Ayella John Bosco
Class:
Didactic poetry
Style:
Free
This poem warns readers about the potential consequences of following the Others’ ways of life, emphasising the importance of valuing your own focus and avoiding contextual anarchy.