#8 My Darkest Desire

I wish that I could name countries, that I could read maps,
That I could write essays, as well as I can rap.
That I could go on field trips and get muddy, I guess I'm trying to infer,
My darkest desire is to study and be a geographer.

Know I know what y'all are thinking "the boys gone mad,
What ever happened to him, he used to be such a promising young lad,
Full of hopes an ideals, aspirations and dreams,
Now he's gone so far wrong you can hear his parent's screams."

I'm going to stop you right there because I think you're being a little dramatic.
And I can sense doubt in the audience. So let me state and be emphatic:
Geography is really the means by which I wish I could pay my bills,
But I didn't have the nerve or the colouring skillz.

Yet I really do care about the environment and the energy debate.
About the Geology and Sociology of the planet we habituate.
But I have to say when it comes to the thrust of the earth's crust causing tidal surges,
And red hot magma and volcanoes, they all give me urges.
Yeah it really is one of the most urgent of course,
I run out of air when I talk about the limitations of earth's resources.

I'd love to go on a field trip to someplace nice and exotic, but also quite expensive,
But I think I'd be nervous, I'd sure be apprehensive.
And I feel I'd have to stand up to my stereotype with defiance,
I know all of you view me as just a guy that studies science,
But I'm more than just the math, more than just the equation.
I'm not trying to make you laugh, but win you over with persuasion.
Because although it goes against my engineering core, I've got no wish higher,
Yeah to study Geography really is my darkest desire.


***

Context: We had an auction of promises, where people sold services and items for charity. I offered a poem, and much to my surprise and delight it was actually bought by 2 second year geographer friends of mine, James Fisher and Dan Tarry. The only limitation they gave me was the poem's subject - my darkest desire. Who knows what they had thought I'd write about. After some thought, I'd decided to do it about studying Geography. Originally it was meant to compliment them show Geography as a complex subject, covering many disciplines and highlight it's importance to the modern world. I feel I only deviated slightly from that in my final piece...

Sorry.

But nevertheless, this poem is still dedicated to them. Whether they want it to be or not.