Why I'll Learn Mandarin

I should have said
"...became a diminished lake,"
which is what it all becomes
in the eyes of the old

I smelled my China-maid hat today and imagined it smelling of its home country. Myself, the hat and I had a little discussion: can I embue the hat with my essence regardless of its material? I mean, I like the hat. But there are details: Preferably I would know where the material came from... the patch of land, the grower, etc. That is the natural way of things. And fuck you if you don't agree. Also, what soul does it have? Were the plants grown in good conditions, those which gave this hat it's material? What kind? What color green are they? What type of farmers are they? Kind? Honest? Does it matter?

Of course not. Going too far there. But you see what I mean. The point is: where was the hat made? By whom? Were they pregnant? Do they hold hands on first dates there? Can you really only have one child?

All our materials
come from foreign meals
and flights of fancy
we shall never comprehend.

Oh the hat. So the point is: is the hat just an empty vessel, in which I can instill it with my essence? Eventually the hat becomes "mine." Obviously, from a financial point of view, it's mine. But spiritually--not quite yet. For one thing it doesn't probably smell like me yet. I haven't "broken it in."

Is all this just bullshit? Things I think
retain value because we give them it
ghosts of spiritual handshakes
around every corner.