I'm Only Doing What the Fortune Cookie Said

This was based on a writing prompt I saw last month, “I’m only doing what the fortune cookie said.”

You learn from your mistakes... You will learn a lot today.

What does that mean?
That I will make a lot of mistakes today?
But not tomorrow or the day after?
What makes today so special?
And what if I’m not in the mood for learning today?

Thank you very much, my sugary crunchy cookie

That my tongue and throat want to taste after my lo mein.

If you have something good in your life, don't let it go!

Well, that’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?
But then again, you can’t hold onto someone if they want to go.

So if the good you have in your life is a person,

You should be working every day to give that person a reason to stay,

Not holding on to them against their will.

It seems a little selfish to me.

Like eating the last fortune cookie on the plate.

I’m only doing what the fortune cookie said.

I sure hope that is meant as a joke.

I don’t need a cookie to tell me what to do

Or how to live my life.

I have enough voices telling me that.

I just want crunchy sugar

And a piece of paper with a saying

That I might find humorous

Or personal.

Or both.