“THE VALUES OF THE WISE” 

for Jason A. Merchey

       So, what then are the “Values of the Wise”
       That all well-meaning souls should realize?
       Most certainly the first one is that love,
       Compassion, fellow-feeling rise above
       All other motives harbored in one’s heart,
       And giving love is always where to start.

       But yet you must be canny to detect
       The waywardness of others who elect
       To take advantage of your charity,
       Abusing it and you maliciously—

       So master then a cunning kind of love
       That shelters both the serpent and the dove,
       That knows the vagaries of the human heart
       And grows a mind not only kind but smart.

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