The Tongue Poem by Edward Kofi Louis

A wise son values his father's intruction,
But he who chases the rainbow has no understanding;
The tongue of the wise promotes health,
The wise woman builds her house,
The tongue is all that you have;
So, don't despise your mother when she is old.

A pussy-footy snail,
A horse-walk snake,
The rich rule over the poor;
A pussy-footy mouse,
A horse-walk cat,
The borower is a slave to the lender;
So, don't depise your father when he is old.

A fleeting breadth,
Honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
But a lovely woman with no discretion is like,
A gold ring in a pig's snout.
The tongue is all that you have,
Use it well for the benefit of others;
Cos', he who waters another's garden will,
Have his watered too.
The tongue is very important but,
A strange woman is like a narrow pit;
One part barley,
One part meat,
A strange life like a whore in a ditch.
One part salt,
One part pepper,
A strange act like a coin in the deep water;
Cos', each heart knows it's own bitterness.