The Gift of Too Much

“Get lost, I don’t care,” snarled the young wolf disingenuously The naïve stripling wanted little more than acclaim With no knowledge of why it continued-- The slow pulsing of his ruby vitality into the wounds of others Which he mistook for his own One day kind fate bestowed a gift like none else: A life full to overflowing With loving family and meaningful work There was not one single extra quantum of energy Work all day, family all evening, sometimes work all night It all suffered from itself in a lovely, mediocre sort of way But mostly it clarified An argument, a stressful day, a worry had a price: Family time, sleep, energy always the losers Zero sum, one in, one out, unavoidable The luxury of care was dead. So when rumors flew pell-mell, as they do Like the Wicked Witch’s monkeys I let them, not pyrrhically hunting them To their nattering source And out went the sheep in sheepdogs’ clothing, Tissue paper acquaintances by the dozens, Card house construct of popularity and most of all, irrelevant obligations If you care so little as to be swayed by the winds of rumor Then that’s how much investment I have in you. Bye. I’m ironclad when impeccably intact in my integrity Vulnerable only when I drop below my own equator To the muck-slinging hyenas that beset us all For when I am true to me, any harsh judgment of me Reflects only on the one doing the judging, as I am FREE This is not to say that I own no bathroom freshener --To keep the boat afloat, one must diligently look for leaks-- But the double-edged steel of the naked truth Is the only defense And the best nutrient for the garden within For then and only then am I right with myself and God, And free as can be expected from the cares of this world 6/9/16 © By Author For Contest: Rise above it Sponsor: Becca Teagan