DIDACTIC: "BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU START" BY MUHAMMAD MERCURIAL.

Work hard.

Be consistent.

Be patient.

These are the songs we hear,

the sermons we swallow.

But tell me...

What of the labourer

who moulds houses from dawn until dusk,

yet remains too poor

to mould a house he can call his home?

What of the same soul

who walks into the house of God

with tithes in trembling hands,

yet the tip that could rewrite his story

passes him by?

I became a rider,

not because it was my dream,

but because survival

does not wait for dreams to come true.

hoping to make little ends meet.

But before a year could bow its head,

the bills kept meeting me.

Shakeerah told me

that pregnancy had met her.

Now, bills meet me under the sun.

Rain beats me wetin no good.

Hand dey meet me,

Still, I keep riding.

Not chasing freedom or ambitions

but because bills

must be paid.

Focus shifted.

Then came the voices...

"Yahoo is the way"

for little earnings.

Four years is down,

Buh not even close

to the title of Leader of Men.

Trapped in it.

Then another voice whispered,

"Hookup is the way"

for little earnings.

Six years is down,

yet bills keep touching me,

and it has become

the means

I am used to.

Trapped in it.

Now, readers listen up,

and be attentive.

Pull back now!

Pull back now!

Before you remain trapped

for the rest of your life.

Ask yourself,

What am I doing?

What kind of life

do I want to live?

9a.m-5.am isn't hereditary job

Did my children really have to start all over ?

Who are those

living the kind of life

I want to live?

What are they doing?

Go online.

Learn.

Build.

Create a means

for yourself

in the digital space.

That is where

new opportunities

are being born now.

Hard labour alone

has not always

changed the story.

Be careful

of what you start.

If 9.am -5.p.m slips off your hand now!

What do you have ?

Because what begins

as a means to survive,

can become

the chain

that keeps you

from truly living.

Choose wisely.

Your future

is watching

your first step.

FULL STOP

© Muhammad Mercurial

- Nigeria 

The poem "Be Careful of What You Start" explores the harsh realities of poverty, unemployment, and the difficult choices people make in the struggle for survival. Through the story of a labourer who later becomes a commercial rider, the poet shows how financial pressure and mounting responsibilities can push individuals into occupations they never intended to pursue. As hardship persists, the speaker illustrates how some people are tempted into illegal or morally questionable activities, such as internet fraud and hookup, which initially appear to offer quick financial relief but eventually become inescapable traps.

The poem warns readers that temporary survival strategies can shape the course of one's entire life if not carefully considered. It urges people to reflect on the future they desire, learn valuable skills, embrace legitimate opportunities especially in the digital space, and make wise decisions before circumstances dictate their lives. Ultimately, the poem is a powerful reminder that while survival is important, the choices made today can either build a better future or become chains that limit one's potential.