On Ignorance

I’d rather not know about the finning of sharks,
Or the desolation and ruin refugees are leaving behind;
I want to be able to understand more about quarks,
And know how a man can travel through London, blind.

I don’t fully comprehend the concept of austerity, which
Measures a government should or shouldn't contemplate;
And it fascinates me that bats hear to the height of pitch
At 200 000 Hz, whilst whales can detect even lower than 8.

I hate to hear of gun violence, unnecessary and tragic;
Of cerebral cells being slaughtered by viral infection;
Yet I am captivated by the indescribable magic
And intricacy of evolution, survival, and natural selection.

If you need directions, I’m not the person to question –
I’ll most likely send you the opposite way;
But please, speak to me of linguistic expression
And the dazzling colour of northern lights in Norway.

Could I please be blissfully unaware of darkness? I feel so mesmerized by light –
It’s a wonder there are so many shades, in a world of black and white.