The Taming of the Demons

This draft comes from many days of reflection on the difference between transforming a quality and ridding yourself of that quality.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedCall it personal growth character developmentCall it, if you like, maturity -- This thing you do to deceive yourself-- telling yourself that all of that is done now, gone forever.You have rid yourself of ugliness, temper, timidity.You have rid yourself of qualities that you call demon. You might even be the kind of person who honors their end with a ceremony,turning your back with a satisfied smileas the last wisps of candle smoke curl into the open air. Oh, Honey. These demons that you talk about destroyingare as vital to your life as air, as blood, as bone. They aren't going anywhere. If you bothered to look just beyond where the smoke disappearedyou would see them sitting, arms akimbo,waiting for the right time to return.Better, don't you think, to open your arms and hold them.Let the light of all that is Love in youshine beauty into their faces,just like the early Spring light through flowering magnoliaspaints your cheeks with breathless wonder.