I don’t chase the loudest rooms
I follow where the voices breathe
Where laughter leans toward meaning
And quiet knows when to speak

I sit where sparks pass hand to hand
Not just to warm the night
But to learn the shape of fire
From another kind of light

Every word is a doorway
Every pause a chance to see
I’m teaching without a podium
I’m learning without my knees

Make teachers of your friends
Make friends of your guides
Let the table be the classroom
Where the best ideas collide

Praise comes easy, fades away
Truth stays longer when it’s shared
This isn’t hunger, it’s refinement
Knowing who to listen to there

The wise walk into golden halls
Not to bow to shining walls
But to watch how grace moves freely
When no one’s putting on a show

Manners speak in undertones
Every gesture tells a tale
You learn more from how they listen
Than from anything they say

Some minds are open windows
Some are doors that change the air
Stand close long enough, you’ll notice
You’re standing straighter there

Make teachers of your friends
Make friends of your guides
Let conversation shape you
Where the clever and the kind collide

Take the applause, let it pass
Keep the wisdom that remains
The best lessons wear no uniform
They call you by your name

There’s an academy in kindness
A curriculum of tone
You graduate without a ceremony
Just noticing you’ve grown

Not by conquest, not by pride
But by sharing bread and thought
Culture isn’t taught in lectures
It’s caught

Cultivate those who cultivate you
Let the circle do the work
Where pleasure hums with meaning
And curiosity still hurts

Be known for what you offer
Be changed by what you hear
The highest wisdom sits beside you
Smiling, pouring something clear

Choose rooms that leave you better
When the evening’s put to bed
Choose people who correct you softly
And teach you how to listen instead