a somewhat novice peddler at the county fair

"there's always something to learn,
when around for the first time.
there's always someone to scare
when looking to make a dime"

"so you go from dusk to dawn till dusk again
and lose the midday time with singing wrens"

"but you need to learn to howl before you bark"
"but you need to learn to walk before you run"
"but you need to learn to sail before you sink"

and so the wheel turns on and on
and even if the bends will shield no hit
you have ideas how to cover, bow or sit
samely to sell hack, cow, or tit.

"but you need to learn to read before you write"
"and you need to learn to write before you rhyme"
"you need to learn to read before you write"

because if it's not one then it's another,
when the main topic is "the minutes passing".
the minutes similarly pass, they're strangely different in a different way
and i have the feeling, you don't want to correct their skew.

"so why don't you learn to wake, before you sleep, dear?"
"why don't you learn to help before you save?
"and how can you sing before you cry?

written for Z.D.