Marlin Richey Poet Free verse

How to Guide the Ego

Here we go again,
You talking all that nonsense
But let me put you on, my friend.

How to kill an ego?
This thing that keeps you going,
This thing that makes you tell yourself, I'm the best. I deserve this.
The same thing that lets you rip through lives,
Limb from limb,
Yet also lets you save one,
When things are looking grim.

How to kill an ego?
You want to know?
Let me tell you the ways.

But first
Think of life.
Think of your purpose here, right now.
Think of that ego steering you clear
Of the goals you say you want to achieve.

So what do we do?
Try to kill it?
No—there ain’t no stopping it.
So let’s see if we can guide it,
Live in harmony with it.

I want you to think of something important,
Something that sets your soul on fire.
Now attach your ego to it
Let it drive you higher.

See, that ego is always moving,
Flying around, landing next,
Figuring out whose life it’ll shape,
Or whose it’ll wreck.

That ego will take you high in the heavens,
Make you sing hallelujah,
Make you rich beyond measure
Or drag you into ruin.

But it can also feed your family,
Build your community,
Set your people up for life.
That ego can be self-love
Or it can be self-destruction.

So how do we guide the ego?
Attach it to a purpose.
Make sure it's true.
And when all else fails, and you don’t make it through,
Look up to me,
And I’ll show you the man I want to be.

It’s time to stop trying to kill the ego
Maybe, just maybe,
It’s time to guide it,
Because if you do it right...
It might just set you free.

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Millard Lowe July 4, 2025 at 2:55 PM Indeed, Marlin. We must steer the ego towards divine wisdom and guidance in labors of life's love: seek...knock...ask... and accept divine guiding grace. One. Peace and Love.

Hiba Junaid May 30, 2025 at 1:48 AM Indeed ego can be a form of self-love or it can ruin lives, as you described. Very well-written!!! I agree with what you said here, Marlin. Be Blessed always, Hiba :)

Darlene De Beaulieu May 26, 2025 at 10:29 AM Hello Marlin Richey, it is nice to meet you. You said it very well. So here is question: How is the Ego handled whew the ego puts you down, making a person feel depressed or very sad? You said nothing about that. Enjoy your day my friend. /Darlene/ Darlene De Beaulieu June 1, 2025 at 11:03 AM Hello Marlin Richey, Did i stump you? Okay marlin, thank you for explaining this to me. This poem will be my fav. It is so good to meet you. Enjoy your day my friend. / Darelene/ Marlin Richey May 31, 2025 at 3:58 PM Thank you, Darlene. That’s a powerful question. I believe at the end of the day, it comes down to choice. When the ego turns on you—when you feel depressed or weighed down by your environment or society you have to look inward and ask yourself: will I be better if I stay in this state, or do I fight to shift it? Negative thoughts will try to trap you in cycles of blame, regret, and sadness, but it’s in those moments you have to break the loop. Ask yourself, what choices did I make to end up here? Acknowledge them, own what’s yours, and move forward. Of course, not everyone is in a situation they chose. Some people are forced into pain by others or by circumstance. And to them I say survive. Hold on until you can get free. And once you do, don’t let yourself fall back into that prison again. Use your experience to grow stronger, protect your peace, and build the life you deserve. Sometimes guiding the ego means knowing when to listen to it and when to lead it.