Intellectual Pleasure Poem by Boston Kelley

My mind is like a ravenous beast
with a stomach that growls unending.
It searches the woods, keeping a sharp
eye for anything that could satisfy its
hunger.
The forest seems dead as if all living
creatures have deserted it.
To survive, it must feed on the vegetation
which only increases its hunger.
It could leave the woods and search for a
new place, but the most refreshing and
appetizing prey are found here.
A person's intellect is a fragile thing; it must
be cared for like a garden.
Its plants must be watered with knowledge
to ensure they grow healthy and strong.
Wisdom must be its sunshine, so the plants
are fed refreshing light.
Intellectual pleasure sits above sensual pleasure,
for what is known lasts longer than what is
felt.
The senses can remember what they experience
well enough, but the mind can remember
for years to come.
Oh, my mind, how you chase after intellectual
pleasure!
You do not desire knowledge for its use, but for
its own sake.
Understanding and insight are your primary goals
since much is not known to you.
What could satisfy your intellectual hunger?
Where else will your lustful eyes turn?
Millenia of knowledge surround you; ages upon
ages of human thought and expression wait
for you to explore and delve into.
You could collect every book in human history,
yet time would steal away your opportunity to
read it all.
My mind, where else will you lead me to?
What other topic awaits for me that you are
calling me to study?