Let’s at least try to be smart,
read books, study things just because,
listen to others and consider their views.
Let’s learn about other countries,
other cultures, other ways of being.
Let’s watch the news, read newspapers,
perhaps study a language, or history.
Let’s cook something we’ve never made before
and think about all the ingredients,
where they came from, how they were grown,
and all the people involved and how they live.
Let’s be appreciative.
Let’s also study our government,
read the constitution, the Bill of Rights.
and think about what freedom, democracy,
capitalism, and equality really mean.
And let’s remember the sacrifices people made
to make this country possible.
And the debt we owe them.
Let’s try to understand math and science better, too.
No doubt doing so will help us understand the world.
Let’s challenge ourselves to really know things.
Not just be content with our prejudices.
We may not succeed, of course.
Being smart takes real effort.
It involves working hard, studying,
and challenging ourselves.
There are no shortcuts,
but let’s at least try.
Who knows?
Maybe, just maybe,
we’ll succeed.
And think how marvelous
that would be.