It’s that simple!

Growing up I had always heard

“It’s not that simple”… simple seemed a word

That denoted something too ordinary, too crass

Complexity was somehow associated with class

I was taught to use difficult words to appear erudite

To display gravitas, not be perceived a neophyte

Whether in art, literature, geometry or science

The real meaning was hidden between the lines

So what I understood at first was too simplistic

A deeper dive was needed, the world was made for a mystic

Or so it seemed- thus the lesson that I in childhood imbibed

Was that everything of importance had a complex vibe…

**

Now I am older, with experiences varied

From preconceived notions, I want myself freed

The more I understand the world, the more I realize

To simplify things is the way of the wise..

Complex operations broken down into parts

Speeches rendered in simple words that touch many hearts

A complicated equation using simple methods solved

From pompous complexity to simplicity- my perspective has evolved

Complicated recipes using ingredients galore

With flavors jostling for space, do not interest me anymore

Give me a simple meal composed of ingredients few

Where I can discern the meal’s composition too

Cleverly written stories with convoluted plots

Could be interesting to some, to me they are not..

Give me a simple yarn, a fable, any day

An ordinary story that teaches a lesson along the way

And who cares if I appear erudite

When my captive audience is my young child who wide-eyed

Listens to me expound on topics myriad

If he did not understand me, that would be sad..

Thus to make everything simple for him is my goal

I thoroughly enjoy this reversal of role

**

Once I had viewed complexity as a virtue

Now I profess simplicity for me and you…